316 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
latter part of June, and it would be interesting to know if they left 
our shores or not.—StTanuey Lewis (Wells, Somerset). 
Three Nests of Land-Rail in the same Field.—Three nests of the 
Land-Rail (Crex pratensis) were found in the same field during the 
first week of July by Mr. Moses Say, of Crosecombe, near Wells; two 
containing eggs were destroyed by the knives of the mowing-machine, 
and one nest had already hatched off, for three young ones were seen 
with a parent bird. Land-Rails have become rarer here than formerly, 
and the nesting of three pairs of birds in the same field seems 
remarkable, for had I been asked I should have said six birds were 
all we had in the neighbourhood. I saw two of the nests with the 
broken eggs in them.—SranuEy Lewis (Wells, Somerset). 
Great Crested Grebes in the County of London.—As you were 
good enough to insert in your last issue my notes on the Great 
Crested Grebe (Podicipes cristatus) breeding in London, I am sending 
you some further observations on these birds, which perhaps you 
may think sufficiently interesting to print. The young birds were 
hatched presumably on July 8th after about four weeks’ incubation, 
and on the 9th I saw the male bird step off the nest with the young 
ones under his wings. For a day or two both birds kept near the 
nest, roosting there at night, but the young were always carried 
under the wings of the male. On July 13th I saw the old birds far 
out in the open water, but could discover no young ones, although, 
from the appearance of the male, I gathered they were still under his 
wings. On July 14th I got near enough to see the young birds under 
the male’s wings, and the female dive repeatedly, and feed them in 
that position. From that day I saw nothing of them until, on 
Sunday, July 21st, 1 made a tour of the reservoir. Walking round, 
I after a time, with the aid of glasses, detected the old birds on the 
farthest side among the reeds. I remained still, and after a time 
they came more into view in the open water. Once or twice I saw 
dark specks near them, and soon was able to make out that, though 
nearly a fortnight old and apparently five or six inches long, they 
were still caressed and fed by the female under the wings of the male. 
For a short time I had the satisfaction of seeing four young birds in 
the water, where they dived regularly and continuously, but I imagine 
rather for practice than food, as both parents were busily engaged in 
diving and feeding them. In the last edition of ‘ Yarrell’ the Rev. 
Richard Lubbock is mentioned as an authority for these birds taking 
their young, for protection, down with them when they dive. This 
