North American Birds Eggs. 



6. Pied-billed Grebe. Podilijinhus podirriis. 



Kan<:t'.— Fnini the British provinces SDUthwjird to Arumtiiu' Republic, 

 JDreetUn^s: locailv throutrliout the nortliern portions of its rauKc 



The Dahchick, as this bird is called, is the most 

 ^ .. evenly distributed liird of this family. It is 



nowhereespecially abundant, nor is it, except in 

 a very few localities, re^^arded as rare. Conse- 

 (juently it is the best known l)ird of the species. 

 They do not congregate in such large numbers 

 as the other Grebes during the nesting season, 

 but one or more pairs may be found in almost 

 any favorable locality. These birds render 

 their floating nest a little more substantial than 

 those of the preceding varieties by the adilition 

 of mud which they bring up from the bottom of 

 the pond; this addition also tends to soil the 

 eggs more, consequently the eggs of this bird are, as a general rule, browner than 

 the other Grebes with the exception of the Least. The bird may always be 

 known by the shape of its bill which is higher than it is broad, and in the sum- 

 mer is white with a black band across the middle. The throat is also black at 

 this season. They lay from five to nine eggs commencing about the middle of 

 May. Size 1.70 X '1.18. Data.— Rice Lake, Minn., May 15. lSi)!J. 5 eggs on a 

 mass of moss and decayed rushes, floating on the water. Gollector, A. Hewitt. 



7 



LOONS. Family GAVIIDAE. 



Loons may be likened to gigantic Grebes from which they differ externally, 

 chiefly in the full webbed foot instead of the individually webbed toes of the 

 Grebe, and in the sharper, more pointed and spear-like bill. These birds are 

 similar in their habits to the Grebes, except that their homes are generally more 

 substantially built and are placed upon a solitl foundation, generally upon an 

 island is some inland lake. 



Both Loons and Grebes are literally "water witches", being practically, and in 

 the case of Grebes, actually, born in the w'ater and living in it ever afterwards. 

 Loons are strong filers, but like the Grebes, because of their small wings they 

 must get their first impetus from the water in order to rise; in case there is any 

 wind blowing they also make use of this by starting their flight against it. 

 They are very peculiar birds and the expression "crazy as a loon" is not a 

 fanciful one, being formed from their early morning and evening antics when 

 two or more of them will race over the top of the water, up and down the lake, 

 all the while uttering their demoniacal laughter. They vie with the Grebes in 

 diving and disappear at the flash of a gun. 





