294 BIKDS. 



patch on the side of the face, a black crest, and the front 

 of the neck red; is a winter visitor only to the east of 

 + Red- these islands, very rarely to Ireland. I have 



necked seen its nests in some small See or other in 

 Grebe. Xorth Mecklenburg, I forget exactly where. 

 It constructs a floating nest like that of the last, but in- 

 variably makes it fast near a clump of tall reeds. Such 

 at least was the case on the lake in question. Eggs^ like 

 those of the last, but slightly smaller. 



The Slavonian Grebe is a winter visitor from the north, 

 which is supposed on some evidence to breed in the north 

 t Slavonian of Scotland. The bird in its summer dress 

 Grebe. has conspicuous tufts of reddish feathers on 

 the side of the head, but in winter these are gone. The 

 black bill has a white tip. Eggs, 2 to 4, i^ inch; bluish 

 white. 



The Eared, or " Black," Grebe is a rare spring and 



§ Eared autumn visitor. There seems even some idea 



Grebe. ^hat it has bred recently in Norfolk. In the 



summer plumage there is a bright reddish patch on the 



side of the head. 



The Little Grebe, or "Dabchick," is the smallest and 

 most familiar of the group, and has all the antics of its 

 Little fellows, among them the habit of diving with 

 Grebe, the young beneath its wing or on its back. 

 In addition, the female covers the eggs with weeds when- 

 ever she leaves them. The bird is considerably darker 

 in its breeding-plumage than in winter. It spends a good 

 deal of the colder season at the coast, feeding on small 

 fishes and crustaceans, but it goes inland to breed, when it 

 consumes much insect and vegetable food. The dabchick 

 may in spring-time be seen paddling under water with its 

 wings in search of submerged weed wherewith to build its 

 nest. The bird has been held up to ridicule for troubling 



