242 



SAILOR BABIES. 



If anything frightens them, pop ! they are under the water in the 

 shaking of a feather; and you may sometimes see them in a pond, 

 popping up and down like little absurd Jacks-in-the-box. As they 

 think the land so very vulgar, of course they do not want to bring 

 up their children on it. Oh, dear, no ! They find a pleasant, quiet 

 stream, or pond, where there are plenty of reeds and rushes growing 

 in the water, and where there is no danger of their being disturbed 

 by " creatures." Then they go to work and make a raft, a I'egiilar 

 raft, of strong stems of water-plants, reeds, and arrow-heads, plaited 

 and woven together with great care and skill. It is light enough 

 to float, and yet strong enough to bear the weight of the mother- 

 bird. While she is building it she sits, or stands, 

 (jn another and more roughly built raft, Avhich is 

 not meant to hold together long. Mr. Grebe helps 

 her, pulling up the water-plants 

 and cutting off the stems the right 

 length; and so this little couple 

 work away till the raft-nest is 

 quite ri'ady. Then Mrs. Grebe 

 takes her place on it, and pro- 

 ceeds to lay and hatch her eggs. 

 There are five or six eggs, and 

 they ai'e white when she lays 

 them; but they do not keep 

 their whiteness long, for 

 the water-weeds and the 

 ^ leaves that cover the raft 

 ' soon decay, and stain 

 the pretty white eggs, 

 that they are muddy 

 by the time they are 

 Well, there little Madam Grebe sits, 

 contentedly over her eggs, and thinking 

 she will bring up her children, so that they 

 will be a credit to the family of the Divei's. Mi-. Grebe paddles, 

 and dives, and pops up and down about the nest, and brings her all 



so 

 brown 



hatched, 

 brooding 

 how carefully 



