164 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



THE EARED GREBE (PODICEPS 

 AURITUS). 



THIS, doubtless, is the rarest of the British species. 

 It remains to a great extent a matter of doubt as 

 to the exact place of breeding, and in conse- 

 quence of its very rare occurrence its habits are not so 

 well known as others of the grebe family. Various 

 English counties are accredited with its capture, but 

 Northumberland stands pre-eminent in this respect. It 

 is supposed to breed very rarely in the north, and its 

 range is said to be Eastern or North-Eastern Europe and 

 Asia. It is also common in the Adriatic. 



The bill is black, about an inch in length, measured 

 from the forehead ; depressed at the base, and having the 

 tip slightly reflected ; lore blackish-red ; crown of the head 

 and short ruff round the neck, shining black ; from behind 

 and below the eyes, on each side, a tuft of long, slender, 

 shining, orange-buff feathers, which cover the ears and 

 nearly meet behind ; throat, neck, sides of the breast, and 

 upper plumage deep shining greyish-black ; flanks and 

 sides reddish-brown, mixed with greyish-black ; secon- 

 daries white ; under plumage white, with a silky lustre. 



In the plumage of winter it closely resembles the horned 

 grebe, but may be distinguished by the turned-up form of 

 the bill, and the eared grebe is altogether more slender and 

 graceful. 



