. Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania . oliocephdliis), whicU were in numbers on the lake, were just commencing; tobuild one or two nests on the weeds. We again visited this lake on the gth December, whenwe found numbers of Grebes nests on the floating water weed ; the majority of the nestscontained three eggs, though a few contained four or five. The eggs were, in nearly everyinstance covered over with weed, and upon wading out to a group of nests it was interesting tosee the birds dragging up the weed and covering the eggs before leaving them, a proceedingwhich w
. Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania . oliocephdliis), whicU were in numbers on the lake, were just commencing; tobuild one or two nests on the weeds. We again visited this lake on the gth December, whenwe found numbers of Grebes nests on the floating water weed ; the majority of the nestscontained three eggs, though a few contained four or five. The eggs were, in nearly everyinstance covered over with weed, and upon wading out to a group of nests it was interesting tosee the birds dragging up the weed and covering the eggs before leaving them, a proceedingwhich was very rapidly accomplished. They nest late in the season, because the surface waterin these lakes is then quite warm. The nests were mere accumulations of floating weed,with a central depression to contain the eggs, and like all floating nests they sink soon after theyoung hatch-out and leave the nest, the process of decay causing the weed to lose its one instance a Hoary-headed Grebe was found t(j liave taken possession of a White-headedStilts M:sT and Ki; of Tllh; HOAUV UKAnKIi liUKIlK. The accompanying figure is reproduced from a photograph taken by Dr. Macgillivray, inNovember, 1912, the weedy covering being first removed by the operator, leaving the eggsexposed to view. Mr. G. A. Keartland wrote me from iNIelbomiie, \ictoria ;— I have seen Hoary-lieadedGrebe (Poducps ncstor) on many of the Victorian swamps, but they are more numerous in theKiverina District, New South Wales. In a large swamp near Lake Way, Western Australia,I saw old birds with their broods following them in August, 1896. From Broome Hill, South-western Australia, Mr. Tom Carter wrote:—The Hoary-headed Grebe (Poducps lui/ur) occurred sparingly on inland pools in North-western sailing near Point Cloates. during tiie drought prevailing in February, 1897, I saw oneof these birds swimming in the sea, about half a mile from land, and steering close to it one ofthe nat
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