82 EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



basin of the Mediterranean, but is a summer visitor to Central 

 Europe and Southern Russia, as far north as the Baltic and 

 Moscow. 



The nest is concealed amongst reeds or sedge, and is generally 

 a floating mass, like those of the allied species of Grebe ; but it is 

 occasionally placed on a tussock of grass or on fallen sedge. It is 

 a small compact structure, not more than 9 inches across, and is 

 composed of dead sedge, mixed with grass and water plants. 

 When the nest is left, the eggs are carefully covered with wet 

 moss and rotten grass. 



The eggs are laid late in May. The number is usually four, 

 but five are sometimes found. Like those of other Grebes, they 

 are creamy-white in colour, but when held up to the light the 

 green colour of the inside may be seen through the hole, and 

 is sometimes traceable on the surface. They are considerably 

 tapered at both ends, rough and irregular in texture, and vary in 

 length from 1*9 to 1'7 inch, and in breadth from 1*25 to 1*1 inch. 

 They cannot be distinguished from the eggs of the Sclavonian 

 Grebe, but they are always larger than eggs of the Little Grebe, 

 and smaller than those of the Red-necked Grebe. 



THE LITTLE GREBE. 



(Podicipes minor.)* 

 Plate 22, Fig, 5. 



The Little Grebe is by far the commonest British species of 

 this genus. It is a resident in all districts suited to its habits, 

 both in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, extending to the 

 Outer Hebrides and the Orkneys. The Little Grebe is confined 

 to the Old World, where it is a resident south of about lat. 42" in 

 the sub-tropical portion of the northern hemisphere, from the 

 Antarctic to the Pacific ; but Dr. Sharpe has pointed out that 

 the African and Indian Little Grebes belong to distinct species. 



The nests are generally floating structures of weeds moored 

 near an island, in some reedy sheet of water ; they are seldom 

 hidden in the reeds, and frequently quite in the open. 



The number of eggs varies from three to six, but four or five is 

 the usual clutch. They are somewhat rough in texture, without 



* Podicipes fluviatilis (Tunst.) — Saunders, Manual, p. 709. 



