WATER BIRDS. 



39 



The most common of the divers and readily separated from the pre- 

 ceding species by its much thicker bill, which in summer is light colored, 

 encircled by a black band, which however is lost in winter. 



Distribution. — British Provinces southward to Brazil, Argentine Repubhc 

 and Chili, including the West Indies and Bermuda; breeding nearly through- 

 out its range. 



In Michigan very generally distributed and absent only during the 

 winter months. We have no record of the occurrence of this species in 

 December, January or February, but it has been taken every other month 

 in the year. 



It nests abundantly in every suitable place in the state, from the Ohio- 

 Indiana line to Lake Superior, building a floating nest similar to that of 

 the Horned Grebe, and laying from five to eight white eggs which average 

 1.72 by 1.99 inches. We have sets of 5, 6 and 7 eggs taken on different 

 lakes in Barry county. May 29, 1885, May 31, 1888, and 

 June 4, 1888. 



During the nesting season the birds keep more closely 

 to the marshes and the rank vegetation along the 

 borders of streams and ponds, where they are less 

 likely to be seen. Sometimes many jiairs will be found 

 nesting in small and isolated marshes where their 

 presence would hardly be suspected. No doubt the 

 heat of the decaying vegetation of the nest aids ma- 

 terially in hatching the eggs, and the mother usually 

 covers the eggs with some such material when leaving 

 the nest voluntarily. The young take to the water 

 immediately upon hatching, and when a nest with 

 one or two stained eggs is found, search in the vicinity, 

 or a little patient watching, will usually reveal three 

 or four newly hatched young close by. This bird is 

 seldom seen on the wing, since it seems always to prefer 

 to escape by diving. It undoubtedly migrates by 

 night, and one is recorded as killed on Spectacle Reef pig.s. Footof Pied-biii- 

 Light, Lake Huron, the night of September 9, 1904. ed Grebe. (Original.) 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



The adult in breeding plumage has the chin and upper throat velvet black sharply de- 

 fined from the clear gray of the front and sides of the neck; crown, nape and back of neck 

 brownish black to clear black. Rest of upper parts brownish gray; under parts mixed 

 silver white and gray more or less spotted with black on the chest. The bill is light colored 

 with a conspicuous black band encircling it near the middle. The inner webs of the secon- 

 daries are largely white. Iris brown; sexes alike. In winter the bill is yellowish without 

 any trace of the black band and the throat is wliitish without trace of black. Rest of mider 

 parts are silky white or grayish white and the upper parts slaty black or brownish black. 

 In this plumage the bird closely resembles the Horned Grebe of the same season; compare 

 description under that species. Lengtli, 12 to 15 inches; wing, 4.50 to 5. 



