Western Grebe 5 



sometimes floating, sometimes built up from the shallow 

 bottom ; the eggs, four to five, are dull bluish-white 

 and measure 231 x 1*52. 



Genus COLYMBUS. 



Bill moderate, rather stout, hardly compresfsed, about equal to or 

 less than the head, culm en usually slightly decurved at tip ; middle 

 toe and claw exceeding the culmen and the tarsus ; neck moderately 

 long ; head with a crest, or ruff or both. 



A large cosmopolitan genus with four species in the United States. 



KJEY OF THE Species. 



a. Larger, with a longer bill, culmen over 2*0 ; tliroat white, part 



of neck rufous. C. holbcElli, p. 5. 



b. Smaller with shorter bill, culmen under 1-5. 



a^ Throat and neck black or dusky. C. n. califomicus, p. C. 



b^ Throat dusky ; neck rufous. C. auritus, p. 6. 



c^ Throat and neck dirty white. C. auritus, heims et juv, p. 6. 



HolboeH's Grebe. Colymhus holhoelli. 



A.O.U. CheckUst no 2 — Colorado Records — Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 

 88, p. 140 ; 89, p. 146 ; Cooke 97, pp. 49, 155. 



Description. — Adult — Crown (which bears a very short crest and 

 inconspicuous ruffs) and nape greenish-black, a Une dovrn the neck 

 and upper-parts black, with brown on the wings ; sides of the head 

 and tliroat silvery ash ; neck, except along the dorsal line, rufous ; 

 lower-parts silvery white, somewhat dappled ; iris carmine, bill black, 

 yellowish on the lower mandible. Length 19"0; wing 7'60 ; culmen 

 2-10; tarsus 2-50. 



Young birds, and adults in winter, have the rufous of the neck 

 replaced by ashy-brown or grey, the sides of the head and throat pm-e 

 white, and the bill chiefly yellow. 



Distribution — Breeding from eastern Asia and Greenland, south to 

 the northern row of states from Washington to Minnesota ; in winter 

 south to South Carolina and Monterey Bay in California. 



The status of this bird in Colorado is rather indefinite. It is noted 

 by Drew and Morrison as occurring in the south-western part of the 

 State, but without any definite statement. On the other hand it 

 has been obtained by Bond on lakes near Cheyenne in autumn. This 

 is actually in Wyoming but only a few miles from the State border. 

 It will probably be found to be a rare fall-migrant in the north-eastern 

 part of the State. 



