NESTING OF THE INDIAN DABCHICK. 301 



(The birds later on did not sit in the day, or even stay near the 

 nest.) 



2Uh. — Bird sitting very closely ; she raised herself, and let 

 me see the eggs (two only), now of a buff colour, and then spread 

 out her feathers, and settled down on them. 



25th. — About midday I saw the bird rise and cover the nest, 

 and get off, when a young one crawled (on all fours) after her, 

 and crept under her wing on the water. She was brooding in 

 the evening. 



2Qth. — I thrice saw the old bird go off, leaving still two eggs.* 

 On the first occasion I saw no young ; on the others it crawled 

 off, swam to her, and crept under her long flank-feathers, the 

 legs disappearing last ; on the third occasion I could see all this 

 distinctly. 



November 5th. — I saw for the first time the young birds 

 swimming in the open water, and following the parent. Until 

 now they have almost always been on its back, where one could 

 see the two heads [one more bird had been hatched] sticking 

 up, the bodies being under the old bird's wings. They were 

 sometimes on the nest, but rarely just outside it. They could 

 not walk or even stand up at first. The larger parent was the 

 carrier. 



7th. — Saw young birds, right over at the other side of the 

 tank, dive for the first time. 



11th. — Watched the old one go on to the nest at night, and 

 one young one, which had been standing up, get under its 

 parent's wing, but had to leave for fear of disturbing them. The 

 old birds bullied some Ducks to-day, but not a Coot; while neither 

 Coot nor Ducks took any notice of their young. 



13th. — Saw the young — one with each parent — separate, at 

 opposite ends of the pond. 



16th. — I saw the smaller young bird pecked away by one 

 parent which it was accompanying, and crying very loudly ; 

 while the other young was on good terms with its attendant old 

 bird. Later, I saw both together with one old bird, which 

 drove both away ; but then more than once fed the smaller 

 one, deliberately driving the other off ; this larger chick was 



* I do not know how I could have overlooked the third egg, but probably 

 it was covered on the 24th, when I saw the other two. 



