216 
NATURE NOTES 
years of my life I have swam with my head above or beneath the surface of the 
water by use of arms, or legs, or both, or any one of the four, and I can maintain 
myself upright in the water with just the nose above the surface without any 
movement of the limbs whatsoever, in this last case in tolerably still water only. 
My brother’s remarks on the common wild duck agree very nearly with my 
observations made in the river Stour, the Dartmoor Chenybrook and elsewhere. 
Gilbert White, moreover, directs our eyes on this. But the wild duck feeds 
much in shallow water, and the young birds delight to clear the surface of pools 
of flies, no doubt to the chagrin of fish below. This, however, does not last 
long sometimes, as where pike are present to restore the balance of nature 
(p. 155). It is interesting to notice the great strength of the swan as he moves 
on the surface of the water by paddling. I have never seen him fly under water, 
for he relies much on length of neck to get food. 
I may perhaps add, that whilst watching gulls and cormorants at Aden, 
another interesting sight was the pursuit of small fish by sharks, the former 
springing out of the water in their rapid flight from the enemy. I used to shoot 
curlew and quail, to vary a monotonous diet, at Aden, outside the barrier, taking 
the risk of my life amongst armed Arabs ; but I could not bring myself to fire at 
the pretty little deer with only shot in my gun. 
Ivy Bridge , South Devon , Giles A. Daubeny. 
September 8, 1903. 
38. Late Stay of Swift. — The swift has made a late stay this year. As 
a rule it takes its departure from this neighbourhood about the middle of August, 
but this year two or three stragglers were about on September 1. In 1891 it 
stayed still later, the last pair remaining till September 5. 
Fyfield , near Abingdon. W. H. Warner. 
39. Swallow’s Nest.— In the yard near this house there is a large bell 
which is rung four times a day to call the coachman into the house. A pair of 
swallows have made a nest between the outside of the bell and the wood covering, 
and three young ones are ready to fly. When the bell is rung they leave the 
nest and sit on the wood, and in the morning the little birds sit on the outside 
and the parents feed them. The bell and covering of wood are twelve feet from 
the brick pavement. 
Northop , Flintshire. E. Sandars. 
40. Story of a Robin. -Among the birds who came daily to our dole of 
crumbs last winter was an old cock robin. At least so we concluded him to be 
by the drooping tail, the loose, unkempt appearance of the feathers, the bare place, 
like a white ring, half round the neck, and the faded red of the breast. As the 
weeks went on this became more and more apparent. Nevertheless, in March 
he took a mate, a little robin in her prime, and the two chose a site on a narrow 
ledge near the roof inside my greenhouse, and began carrying up nesting materials. 
After a time they transferred some of the leaves to another ledge, some three 
feet away, still too far above our heads to look into. Having often observed 
that robins lay up a store of dry leaves, &c., near the intended nesting-place, as 
a sort of base of operations, I did not at first think there was anything unusual 
in it. But when in a day or two they were all taken back again, we got a ladder 
and made a nearer inspection. No nest had ever been built ! There was a very 
large pile of leaves and a little moss, but no attempt at any plan or arrangement. 
On a ledge near lay a robin’s egg, freshly laid, and beneath in pots on the floor 
of the greenhouse two more, one sound the other in broken bits. On the sa' le 
day (May 28) I saw the old bird carry up a larger leaf than usual. His last 
effort ! The two birds began collecting on March 22. They had gone on 
steadily for more than nine weeks ! After this the cock failed every day. He 
got weaker and strangely huddled up. But he could still eat the crumbs of 
biscuit and drink from the saucer of water which we had put on the floor of the 
greenhouse daily, after they began their work there. He knew the click of the 
door and came at once, never appearing afraid. The hen was shy and rarely 
came alone, but I occasionally saw him feed her. In these last days she returned 
the compliment, forgot her fears, and fed him, even while we stood near her. 
After every meal he stood still, slowly panting. Once I took him up in my hand, 
which I had never done before, but he was far too weak to make objections. 
Moreover, I think his sight was gone. The head was perfectly bald, and the rest 
