AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 277 



the ponds at Canon's Ashby about the end of April 

 1886, and Mr. H. S. O'Brien, early in October of 

 that year, wrote to me from Blatherwycke — " There 

 have been two pairs of Great Crested Grebes on the 

 water here all through the spring and summer ; two 

 of them are still here ; I cannot, I am sorry to say, 

 state positively that they have bred here, but my 

 children have repeatedly told me that they have seen 

 an old Grebe and two young ones." Lord Knightley, 

 writing from Fawsley on November 6th, 1886, 

 informed me that Crested Grebes had nested there 

 that year as well as in 1885. On April 19th, 1890, 

 I heard from Mr. O'Brien that he had five of these 

 Grebes on his lake at Blatherwycke, and on 

 March 24th, 1891, he informed me that four had 

 appeared there on the previous day for the first 

 time since the commencement of the great frost 

 of the previous December and January. Mrs. 

 O'Brien, writing on May 21st of the year just 

 mentioned, told me that one pair of Grebes were 

 then breeding on the lake, and on paying us a visit 

 on July 29th, she added that she had recently seen 

 three quite young birds, with their parents, thereon. 

 On July 10th, 1891, I received for identification 

 from ]Mr. I. Eunson two eggs of this Grebe taken 

 upon Ravensthorpe Reservoir ; these are the only 

 Northamptonshire specimens of eggs of this species 

 that I have seen up to date of this writing — January 

 1893. On November 4, 1891, I received from Lady 

 Mary Thompson an immature bird of this species 

 that had been shot on the previous day on the Nen 

 near Milton. 



During the summer of 1892 I heard more than 

 once of the presence of Great Crested Grebes on 



