34 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
resort to fresh-water ponds to breed. That is the 
time when they may best be observed, and the ideal 
place is a dam in timbered country, whose surface for 
some distance from the bank is covered with low- 
growing water-weeds. In these the nest is placed, a 
heaped-up pile of water-grasses, not hidden in any 
way, but yet protected by the effect which it produces 
of being simply an accidental heap of wet weeds. 
Looking at it for the first time, it is the last thing 
in the world you would suppose was a bird's nest. 
In one which I saw at Marcus there were six eggs, of 
which the last-laid alone was pure white, the others 
shading through degrees of stained walnut to the first- 
laid egg, which for practical purposes was black. 
Lately, spending the summer holiday at Airey's, I 
had a good opportunity of noting these pretty Grebes. 
At least four pairs inhabited a sheet of fresh water 
of about an acre. There were two or three nests, 
but only one which I could examine closely ; this was 
at the edge of a lot of surface weed floating in water 
about 3 feet deep. The sitting bird was very con- 
spicuous, and did not take much notice of passers-by, 
though there was a good deal of traffic, and the 
nest was not 20 yards from the path ; but if you 
stopped to look at her, she would presently become 
agitated, and from all round the nest with quick 
movements of her little dark head she pulled the 
nest-material lightly over her eggs and then slipped 
into the water, her mate waiting close at hand. 
On the last day of the year we waded in to photo- 
