.VESTS AND EGGS 01- AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. lOOj 



The following is another Queensland note, written by Mr. Hermanu 

 Lau : — " The little Grebe, like the Swau, makes its nest rest on the bed 

 of a shallow ditch or lagoon. It is sometimes 2^ feet in thickness, its 

 materials comprising the long, narrow leaves of water plants, lined with 

 rootlets of the same. At night time the bird sits on its five eggs, but 

 while it is day, and the sxm shining, it covers the eggs with water weeds, 

 the surface of the water being level with the brim of the nest, which, 

 as a whole, forms the figiu-e of a cone. Once I accidentally shot a 

 mother bird, and found, when dead, she had under each wing a yoimg 

 one, and when I waded back to the nest foimd one egg. Breaking the 

 egg, discovered a yoimg one, wliich opened its beak and was quite 

 lively. Only one brood is reared. Yandilla, October, 1877." 



When out in the back-water lagoons of the Murray River, alter 

 Marsh Tems' eggs, 26th November, 1893, Mr. G. H. Morton found 

 several nests of the httle Black-throated Grebe among a breeding colony 

 of the Terns. The Grebes' nests were built principally of black, 

 decayed stalks of water plants, and were larger in size than those of 

 the Teni.^, the eggs being invariably covered with the same material. 

 The Grebes chd not appear to be sitting; in fact, none of these birds 

 were noticeable about. Probably they had been scared away by 

 Mr. Morton's approach. But the Terns kept to their posts. 



Breeding months are September to January or Februaiy. Mr. A. 

 Watson infoiins me that on one occasion in Gippslaud he found eight 

 eggs in a nest of the Black-throated Grebe. 



The food of Grebes consists chiefly of small fish, mollusca, and 

 insects of various kinds. Tlie Black-thi'oated Grebe, as its name indi- 

 cates, may be distinguished from the Hoary-headed Grebe, wliich it 

 resembles in size and general coloui', by having its throat and sides 

 of the face black. There is also a conspicuous mark of deep-chestnut, 

 beginning beliind each eye and extending down the sides of the neck. 



The yoiuig in down is whitish on the under parts, while the upper 

 siuface is striped alternately black and lightish-brown. 



During the Calvert Expedition this bird was noted for West Aus- 

 tralia for the first time. Large numbers of them were seen near Lake 

 Way, and at the depot Mr. L. A. Wells killed one on firing into a flock 

 of Teal. These Grebes were also found at many of the swamps formed 

 by the heavy rains near the Fitzroy River. 



736. — PoDiciPES POLiocEPHALUS, Jaixliue and Selby. — (666) 

 P. nestor, Gould. 



HOARY-HEADED GREBE. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 82. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxvi., p. 522. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — *Gould : Birds of Australia (1S4S), 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 512 (1865) ; Campbell : Southern 

 Science Record (1S83) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 347 (1S89). 



Geo(ji-aj)hical Distribution. — South Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South, West, and North-west Australia, and Tasmania. 



*No dimensions given. 



