HABITS OF THE GREAT CRESTED GtiEBE. 457 



misty. For the last week the weather has been cold and detest- 

 able. The birds' inclinations and activities seem to follow the 

 weather. At 8.20 I have to leave, so cannot say if the actual 

 pairing was accomplished or not. 



May ISth. — At the water to-day at 11 a.m., and again at 

 about 1.30 p.m. Each time the Grebes were floating idly about, 

 and showed no disposition towards connubiality. 



May \.4.th. — Arrive at about 7 a.m. The two birds are 

 floating idly about together, and, before long, they front each 

 other with reared necks, in the way often alluded to. Then, 

 without tdter-ing, each throws up the head several times into the 

 air, at the same time opening and closing the long slender bill. 

 This I have seen them do several times before, but hardly so 

 pronouncedly. The bill, however, is so fine, and its lines, when 

 thus opened, so soon lost, that this action makes less impression 

 upon one than the gross gobble — as one may call it — of the Shag, 

 and (no doubt) the Common Cormorant. It is a finer and more 

 aristocratic affair altogether. It has a lady-like character — 

 indeed, this can be said of the general appearance and deport- 

 ment of both the birds. Bismarck, I think, has said, " In races, 

 also, you have the male and the female." The remark was 

 a propos of the Slav peoples, yet the Russian nationality, at any 

 rate, if it shows — really or fancifully — some feminine traits, 

 seems, at least, as strong, persistent, and inflexible as the 

 German, or any other Teutonic one. 



In about half an hour the two birds begin fishing, starting 

 off diving with excitement and energy, and, as it seems to me, 

 with a certain amount of consciousness between them. After a 

 time they become separated, and, for a good while, one floats on 

 the water (having finished fishing) quite alone. Now, however, 

 the one is swimming down to it, and they soon rejoin. Both 

 are now floating with their heads in the middle of their backs, 

 looking like pork-pies on the water. As it is now half-past eight, 

 and there is no sign of any nuptial activities, I leave. 



My diary ends here. For several mornings after this, and 

 then, on and off, till the end of the month, I continued to visit 

 the lake, but the doings of the birds became less and less inter- 

 esting, and it became, at last, evident to me that no eggs would 

 be laid. Going again, on the 12th of June, I was unable to dis- 

 Zool. ith ser. vol. V., December, 1901. 2 n 



