HORNED GREBE. 255 



The Horned Grebe, or Dobchick, is also an inhabitant 

 of the northern regions of both continents, being very com- 

 mon, in the summer season, throughout the Hudson's Bay 

 fur countries, frequenting abiiost every lake with grassy 

 borders, in which seclusion, about the month of June, it 

 constructs its nest of coarse herbage, which left afloat, is 

 sometimes moored to the surrounding reeds and rushes. 

 The eggs, 3 or 4, are white, spotted, and as it were, soiled 

 with brown ; in order to hide them from its enemies, it has 

 the habit of covering the eggs, while abroad. In the au- 

 tumn it retires to the south, appearing in Massachusetts, some- 

 times in the small freshwater lakes near the ocean. At a later 

 period they retire still further, being very common in the 

 Middle and Southern States, where they are known, with 

 other species, by the name of Dippers and Water Witch- 

 es. The Indians of Hudson's Bay give it the name of 

 Seekeep. While here, they keep generally in the salt water 

 swimming and diving with great agility and elegance 

 and these are almost universally young birds, the old ones 

 keeping probably more inland in their migrations towards 

 the south. In most of the individuals which have fallen 

 under my notice, the stomach, like a pouch in form has 

 been generally swelled out with its own feathers, apparently 

 bent and masticated before swallowing ; these had been 

 feeding on minute eels, and coleopterous insects, and had 

 besides the matted feathers plucked from the breast a 

 quantity of sand and gravel. Their appetites are, indeed 

 keen and little scrupulous, for which, sometimes, they pay 

 a dear forfeit, as happened to an individual seen by Mr. N. 

 Wyeth, which had its bill clasped in the shell of a clam, 

 in such a manner as to disable it both from flyino- and 

 diving. 



The Horned Grebe of America is from 15J to IG inches in length, 

 (that of Europe is about 13^ inches.) Head, nape, and throat, o-reen- 



