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THE CONDOR 
I Vol. IV 
were intermingled. The rim of the 
mass floated about four inches above 
the water, and the cavity, between one 
and two inches deep, contained five 
eggs, loosely covered with material like 
that of the nest. These eggs were in- 
cubated to blood and more, and had ac- 
quired the brownish, baked appearance 
peculiar to grebes’ eggs after continued 
incubation and exposure to the nest 
material. 
The attractions of the swamp were 
not to be resisted, and the next morn- 
ing, June 5, found us pushing among 
the reeds. Again fortune favored the 
collector, for persistent search of the 
buckbrush disclosed nest No. 2, con- 
taining four eggs, uncovered. As the 
size of the nest complement of C. hol- 
bcelli oft'ered a good subject of investi- 
gation, the nest was left undisturbed, 
and revisited on June 7. No additions 
had been made and the four eggs were 
taken. This nest was in the buck 
brush, about the full length of the boat, 
sixteen feet, in more than two feet of 
water. It was made in all respects like 
nest No. i, though the material was 
piled upon coarse twigs of buck brush, 
apparently brought up from the bottom. 
Upon the second visit the eggs were 
found covered. Incubation varied from 
blood to far advanced. 
Diligent search of the swamp failed 
to yield further returns until June 12, 
when nest No. 3 of C. hnlbielli was 
found, containing two eggs, uncovered. 
Following my usual method, I left this 
nest undisturbed until June 14, when it 
contained three eggs, uncovered, with 
no sign of covering material about the 
rim of the nest. June 17 was the fate- 
ful day for No. 3, when it was found to 
contain five eggs, all uncovered, one 
having been evidentl)^ deposited that 
morning. As I approached it on my 
usual morning round, the owners or 
other grebes uttered their qiionk beyond 
the shrubbery, but it seemed impossible 
to surprise them anywhere near the 
nest. This structure was four inches 
in height above the water, 24 inches 
across at the surface of the water, cav- 
ity 7.5 inches and 9 inches minor and 
major axes, and 2.25 inches deep. It 
was in two feet of water, in a very open 
situation among sparsely growing young 
reeds. These eggs were very hand- 
some, all being fresh and having the 
delicate pale greenish color when 
washed; in my desire to have them per- 
fect, however, I broke one in the wash- 
ing process. 
On June 14, I had found a new nest 
in the course of my morning quest. It 
then contained three eggs, covered; it 
was inspected on June 17, and as the 
complement had not increased, the 
three eggs were taken. Nest No. 4 was 
in the edge of a clump of old reeds, 
made as usual. It was 20 inches across 
at the water, 4 inches in height, the 
cavity being 6 inches and 7 inches in 
width at the rim, and 1.5 inches deep. 
The eggs were well covered in this in- 
stance, though one had been displaced 
from its bed and was floating among the 
nest material beneath the water, where 
it had been entangled. Incubation had 
advanced to a considerable extent. 
June 14 was my luckiest morning, for 
then I had found what was to be nest 
No. 5, containing one egg. On June 17 
it contained three eggs, which were 
again left for developments. The one 
egg was covered on June 14; the three 
eggs were also covered; on June 20 four 
eggs were the reward of my patience 
and repeated trips among the reeds. 
The fourth egg had a; parently been 
deposited that morning, but as the fifth 
one was due on that day and had failed 
to materialize, I gathered in the four 
uncovered eggs. This nest was a large 
mass of dried decaying material an- 
chored among thick reeds, with two 
very evident approaches through the 
reeds to open water. The height was 
3.5 inches, diameter at surface of water 
24 inches, cavity 7 inches across, 2 
inches deep. 
In my round of June 17, 1 had 
