192 
THE CONDOR 
Voi.. XII 
The young birds have a peculiar habit of riding on the back of the parent 
birds. This is apparently done for the 'p ur P ose of imaginary protection to the 
young, as we only observed it when broods of young were surprized close to the 
shore, and were seeking safety in the middle of the lakes. At such times the par- 
ent would swim close alongside the young bird and by raising the fore part of the 
body out of the water would submerge the posterior portion, upon which the young- 
sters would scramble with alacrity. The wings of the parent were then raised 
something after the fashion of a brooding hen, and often several babies would be 
cuddled comfortably beneath them. It was quite comical to see a well laden parent 
bird attempt to take on an additional chick, as this often precipitated the entire 
brood into the water, and this was always the signal for a wild scramble back on 
“board ship”, during which rather strenuous performance the doting parent was 
the victim of an animated mauling. This additional weight on the parents’ back 
Fig. 63. NEST AND YOUNG OF PIED-BIEEED GREBE 
did not seem to affect their swimming powers, and the speed with which a mother 
grebe carrying a half a dozen babies could leave danger behind was surprizing. 
During the first week in July broods of young grebes were very much in evi- 
dence on all the lakes arid ponds, trailing along thru the water after the parents in 
single file. The broods ranged in size from freshly hatch t babes half the size of a 
tiny chick to ungainly three-fourths grown youngsters, and many times mixt 
broods of two or three sizes were seen swimming about together. 
Broods of young grebes continued to increase in abundance and were very 
conspicuous on all the lakes and ponds thruout the second and third weeks of July, 
after which time they gradually decreast in numbers; and the last birds noted were 
seen October 3, some little time after the bulk of the species had left for their 
winter homes. 
On July 6, 1907, we had several distinct views of an albino Pied-billed Grebe, 
