HABITS OF THE GEE AT CRESTED GREBE. 455 



at all busied themselves with it. Assuming the nest to be the 

 ordinary one in which the eggs will be laid, then it has been 

 built earlier than it was the previous year — at least than the one 

 which I first saw. Also, it diifers in hardly being raised above 

 the surface of the water — no more, in fact, than a floating weed 

 — so that it is undiscernibie, unless when standing just over it, 

 whilst the other was quite conspicuous. 



May 6th. — At the water just after 7 a.m. (having had to walk), 

 and find the two birds separated by some distance. The male 

 is near me, but soon works back to the female, and, when they 

 meet, they utter the curious, low, quacking kind of note. They 

 are now floating idly on the water. Each time I see them 

 together, or even apart, I am more struck with the superior 

 size of the male. His body is larger, his neck thicker and held 

 habitually higher, his crest finer and thicker, his whole appear- 

 ance more striking. It would not be easy for me, now, to mistake 

 one for the otiier through the glasses, even at a considerable 

 distance, nor have I ever, in fact, had a real doubt except 

 when I was a long way off. The two are now fishing, and 

 very successfully, for they often bring a fish up and swallow it on 

 the surface. 



It is very funny to see not only the foot, but the whole leg of 

 one of these Grebes lifted right into the air, and shaken back- 

 wards and forwards — waggled about. This has just happened 

 with the hen. 



At a little past eight the two have fronted each other in 

 the water, and toyed in the usual manner. But nothing more 

 has come of this, and it is now near 9.30. It is a cold ungenial 

 morning. 



At 10 I leave, nothing more having taken place, or seem.ing 

 likely to take place, between the birds. Yesterday I was not able 

 to come owing to headache. 



May dth. — I am at the water at 7.30 this morning, and find 

 the Grebes swimming about together. Twice they front each 

 other in the water, stretch up their necks, and toy a little with 

 their beaks ; and a third time they do this less definitely. But 

 they do not go to the nest. At 8.10 I notice them diving some- 

 what excitedly, as it seems to me, one going down as soon as the 

 other does, and sometimes — especially once — with a little splash. 



