32 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
his migrations make it clear that on occasion he can 
travel high and fast, probably only by night. 
Coot used to breed in the swamps behind the 
boat-sheds along the Yarra, near Prince's Bridge, and 
may still do so in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, but 
no instance of their breeding anywhere in the Geelong 
district is within my knowledge. 
CRESTED GREBE 
Podiceps cristatus christiani 
Once seen at reasonably close quarters the Crested 
or Tippet Grebe will easily be recognised ; the double 
crest and strange projecting ruff on the upper part 
of its long neck make it conspicuous among all water- 
birds. Its range in this district covers the Connewarre 
Lakes and Corio Bay ; whether it is a mere visitor 
or a breeding species has not been absolutely deter- 
mined. Travelling from Geelong to Melbourne by 
boat, I have sometimes seen half a dozen or more of 
these birds together in the Hopetoun Channel — 
usually on very calm autumn days, when the water 
was smooth as a mirror, so that as they rose and fluttered 
along for a hundred yards or so, the noise of the wings 
striking the water sounded like the paddles of some 
miniature steamer. These birds were probably under- 
going the moult. 
On the Connewarre Lakes, rather more often in 
the " nineties " than later, I have seen them at the 
