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 A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE upon the Ouse and Ivel from September on- wards until the following February. Mr. J. King, who was formerly resident at Southill for many years, has no knowledge of their having attempted to breed there until 1894, when in company together we found them so doing. But it is evident from conversations I had with the keepers that the birds had first frequented the lake one or two years pre- viously, and as they remained throughout the greater part of the year probably nested. On 1 8 May of that year we found a pair had a nest and eggs and the old bird was evi- dently sitting ; a previous laying of three eggs had been destroyed on 23 April, close to where the present nest was situated. When visiting the pool again in August of that year, I found that the second laying had been fully successful, the old birds being then accom- panied about the pool by their young. On 17 April 1895 two pairs were upon this sheet of water ; but, not visiting Southill again in that year, I am unable to say with what results. Subsequently on 3 April 1899 one pair were present, and on 12 May following three grebe were observed. On 3 May 1 90 1 three pairs and one odd one were upon the pool, of which two pairs at least remained and nested there. Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford has been kind enough to favour me with particulars of this species on the pools at Woburn. It was first observed there in 1894, when a pair nested and reared three young. Four of the five left in the autumn, one staying until the hard frost set in during that winter, and one returned immediately when the weather opened. When visiting the various pools within Woburn Park on 15 May 1 90 1 seven of these grebe were upon the pools, one pair of which were accompanied by their three young, and another had a nest containing two recently laid eggs, to which a third was eventually added. The numbers observed on these pools on this occasion may be possibly accounted for by Battlesden Lake having been drained and left dry. I visited Battlesden Pool on 16 May 1899 and five adult birds were then present ; two pairs were evidently nesting, one nest of which could be inspected from the side, and con- tained a single egg. In Mr. C. F. Wood's experience of Woburn and Battlesden from 1849-72 he never knew or heard of this grebe in either locality. At the larger pool in Tingrith Park, Colonel H. Barclay says that to his knowledge they nested only in 1899, the eggs being successfully hatched and the young reared ; but the year following only a single bird returned to the pool, remain- ing some little time before departing again ; since then they have not reappeared in that particular locality. 205. Red-necked Grebe. Podicipes griseigena (Boddaert) A rare winter visitant. In February 1863 one was shot by a farmer on a pond at Ren- hold ; the bird was skinned and eaten, but Mr. A. Covington was, fortunately enough, enabled to obtain the mutilated remains and identify the species. Another, a female, is in the possession of the writer; it was picked up alive on 11 February 1870, during hard weather, in the farmyard of the Hill farm at Wilden (see also Zoologist). A third which I have also examined is in the posses- sion of Mr. J. Lund of Bedford, and was killed on the small reservoir above the Clap- ham road on 8 November 1885. A red- necked grebe recorded in the Field, 1880, proves upon examination to be but a specimen of the great crested grebe. 206. Slavonian Grebe. Podicipes auritus (Linn.) Another winter visitant, but seems to occur far oftener than the previous species. About a dozen have been received by Mr. A. Cov- ington in the flesh, nearly always in February or March during their return movements north, and invariably in the winter plumage. Blun- ham, Willington, Pavenham, Milton, Harrold, Odell, and by the ash-plantation along the river at Clapham are localities where they have been obtained. The most recent was one found at the edge of a pond along the Kimbolton road about 1 890, apparently ex- hausted and frozen to death. Several have been received by Mr. J. S. Wright at various times. One which I have seen in the possession of Mr. J. Cole of Leagrave was shot at Luton Hoo, and others have also been received by him from around that neighbourhood. One in the possession of Mr. J. King was shot on 27 March 1865 at Southill Lake. That recorded by Mr. C. M. Prior in the Zoologist, shot near Bedford during the last week in February 1879, is very probably the specimen now in my possession, which was shot by Mr. J. Bennett on the overflows at Fenlake about that year. Another in my collection was obtained near the bridge at Felmersham on 2 February 1895. 207. Little Grebe. Podicipes fluviatilis (Tun- stall) Locally, Dabchick, Didchick, Diadobber. Still plentiful as a winter visitor on all our larger streams, and with the exception of within a few miles from Bedford — where its 136