poDiciPEs. 383 



Order PYGOPODES. 



Family PODICIPEDID^. 



aen.-v:is :e=oidioi:e=es, uiimm. 

 Podicipes novee-hollandiae. 



JiLACK-THKu\TED (iREBE. 

 I'odiceps novd-huUandid; Steph., in Sliaw's Gen. ZooL, Vol. XIII., p. I,S (1826). 



Podiceps yularls, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. VII., pi. 81 (1S4S); id., Handbk. Bd.s. Au.sti-., Vol. 

 II., p. 513 (1865). 



roilicij"-fi uovm-ho/landiii; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mu.s., Vol. XXVI., p. 519 (l.S'JS) ; Sliarpe, 

 Hand-l. Bds., Vol. T., p. l:i (1899). 



Adult male (in breeding plumage). — General colour above hlackisli-brown wilh a grei/if:h-yloss, 

 the lou-er portion of the hind-n-ck and sides of the neck mashed icith greij ; upper iviny-corerts and 

 qaitls a more decided broun, a band across the centre of the primaries and bases of the inner iveb 

 white : all but the three innermost secondaries, u-hich are broivn, ivhiie more or less margined on the 

 apical portion of the outer web n'ilh pale brown ; sides of the lower back dull white, slightly w-ashed 

 u-i/h rnfius ; forehead, crown and sides of head, and -upper part of hind-neck black glossed u<ilh 

 greenish-grey; chin., ihroaf and upper jiortion of the fore-neck black: a narrow line coutmencing 

 behind the eye and widening out on the sides of the neck rich rufons ; lower part of fore-neck dull 

 brou-n : remainder of the under surface sHvery-white, the sides of the body broivn or blackish-brown, 

 and llie lou:in- portion of abdomen greyish-browii : bill blackish, paler at the tip, its base greenish- 

 yellon^ ; legs and feet dark greenish-grey : iris yellow. Total lengtJi in the jlesh lOu 5 inches, iving 

 4 3, bill dST, tarsus 1-4. 



Adult fkmalk. — Similar in jilumage to the male. 



Adult of both SE.xer, in non-breeding plumage. — 7'op of head, hind-neck, wings and upper 

 parts dark brown, the n-ing similarly marked witli n^hite as in the brceiiing /ilumaqe ; cliin, throat, 

 sides of neck and all the under parts }vh.ite ; loicer flauks and abdomen grei/ish-brown. 



Distribution. — North-western Australian, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South .Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania. 



/~|^HE Black-throated Grebe is freely distributed, in suitable situations, over most parts of 

 J- the Australian continent, and is lilcewise found in Tasmania; it is particularly abundant 

 on the swamps and ri\-ers of \'ictoria, and the inland waters of New South Wales. Although I 

 have frequently obtained this species in the estuaries of rivers, it much prefers the still waters of 

 inland lakes and clear open spaces in reed-beds and back-waters. Usually it is seen in small 

 flocks or pairs scattered about in various directions, resembling puff-balls upon the surface of 

 the water. Needless to add it is an expert swimmer and diver, and usually, when tired at, 

 disappears simultaneously with the flash or report of a gun. When swimming about they 

 generally utter their notes, resembling the sound made by rapidly running small cog-wheels. 

 The food consists principally of various kinds of water beetles and small-shelled molluscs. 

 The stomach of one e.xamined, shot at Botany Water Reserve, contained a large Dragon Fly, 

 mixed up with the remains of various water insects, a little rock and some vegetable substances. 

 Water is this bird's element, 1 have never seen it on land. 



The nest of the Black-throated Grebe was one of the first I became acquainted with when 

 a boy, being at that lime connnon in all the swamps and sheltered lagoons around and in the 



