THE SWAN S NEST. 
205 
Durham, speaking of the habits of the horned grebe 
(Podiceps cornutus ), as observed by him in Iceland, says :— 
“ One day, having seen one of these birds dive from its 
nest, I placed myself with my gun at my shoulder, waiting 
its reappearance. As soon as it emerged I fired and killed 
it, and was surprised to see two young ones, which it 
seems had been concealed beneath the wings of the parent 
bird, drop upon the water. I afterwards shot several other 
birds of this species, all of which dived with their young 
under their wings. The young were placed with their 
heads towards the tail, and their bills resting on the back 
of the parent bird.” 
But to return to the swan :— 
For all the water in the ocean 
Can never turn a swan’s black legs to white, 
Although she lave them hourly in the flood.” 
Titus Andronicus , Act iv. Sc. 2. 
“ I have seen a swan 
With bootless labour swim against the tide, 
And spend her strength with overmatching waves.” 
Henry VI. Part III. Act i. Sc. 4. 
Those who are familiar with the late Mr. Wolley’s 
sketch of the wild swan’s nest, published by Professor 
Newton in the “ Ootheca Wolleyana ” (Part I. Plate 9), 
