436 THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



the secondaries, except tliL' tliree innermost, are entirely pure white, and their shafts are white 

 to the very base. The three imierniost liave a dusky spot near the end of the outer web. These 

 differences, so far as we can discover, are entirely constant ; and if so, quite suihcieut to separate 

 the two." 



Since the writing of Dr. Coues's admirable synopsis of the Grebes, the number of specimens of 

 these birds, and especially of the American Eared Grebe, in the collection of the National Museum 

 has very greatly increased, so that we have now probably more than double the amount of material 

 which came under Dr. Coues's in-sjiection. We have examined this material very carefully, and 

 find in the American series but the one specimen mentioned above which does not confirm the 

 difference pointed out. The specimen in question (No. 74461, Stockton, Cal., May 9 : L. Bel- 

 ding) has all the primaries white, except their terminal i)ortion, less than half of the exposed por- 

 tion of the quills being brown ! Although in every other respect the coloration of this example 

 is entirely normal, the amount of white on the quills is so very unusual, even for a European 

 specimen, that there is much probability of its being an indication of partial albinism. 



On the other hand, an adult male, in breeding-plumage, from Europe (not seen by Dr. Cones), 

 has the outer wel) of all but two of the inner quills entirely brown, except the extreme tip of the 

 seventh, eighth, and ninth quills, the tenth and eleventh ^ having much brown near the end of the 

 outer web, while the tenth has a brown spot near the end of the inner web also. It is therefore 

 evident that the amount of white on the inner quills varies to some extent in the European bird ; 

 but we have yet to see a specimen in which there is not more or less of white on the inner webs 

 of all the quills, with the outer webs of two or more of the inner quills white also. The differ- 

 ence in the form and size of the Ijill, and the darker color of the young, of tlie European bird, is 

 ai>parently constant, so that, upon the whole, we can hardly do otherwise than separate the birds 

 of the two continents as tolerably well-defined races. 



Both American and European specimens vary considerably in the quantity of rufous along the 

 sides, some examples having the entire sides and flanks a nearly continuous chestnut-rufous, while 

 others have only a slight tinge of this color ; a nearly equal admixture of rufous and dusky is, 

 however, more usual. There is also much variation in the brightness of the elongated feathers on 

 the sides of the head, some having these tufts a nearly uniform dull buff or ochraceous, while in 

 others they are rich rusty rufous, those along the upper border being bright ochraceous, in marked 

 contrast. This latter condition, or a brighter plumage generall}', seems more common among 

 European specimens, and may prove characteristic of that form. 



A very fine adult in summer plumage, from Northern Europe, in the collection of the Boston 

 Societ}^ of Natural History (No. 8164, Lafresnaye Collection), is remarkable for the great amount 

 of rufous on the lesser wing-coverts, where this color prevails anteriorlj'' ; the middle, and even 

 the greater, coverts being spotted with this color. The sides and flanks are almost continuou.s]y 

 rich chestnut-rufous. "We have not been able to detect a trace of rufous on the lesser wing-coverts 

 in any other of the numerous specimens examined, either European or North American. The five 

 inner primaries all have the inner webs white, except at the tip ; hut there is not a trace of white 

 on the outer webs, except of the last two. 



The Californiaii Grebe is a form very clo.sely allied with Dytes nigrtroUis of the 

 PalfBarctic Region ; and it was probably one of this latter species which was figured 

 and described by Audubon as Podiceps auritus, and said to have been received from 

 Western America. The present form appears to have an area of distribution bounded, 

 approximately, by the Missouri River Region on the east, and extending westward to 

 the Pacific, and northward to an indefinite extent. 



Dr. Heermann mentions finding this Grebe abundant in California, both on the 

 sea-shore and on the inland fresh-water ponds ; Dr. Palmer met wdth it in the neigh- 

 borhood of Guayamas, in Western Mexico ; and Mr. Salvin mentions finding it com- 

 mon on the Lake of Duefias, in Guatemala, where it was in its immature and winter 

 plumage. A single specimen in its summer dress was shot near Cubalco, in the 

 Guatemala province of Vera Paz. 



^ The Grebes have eleven primary (piills ! 



