734 FODICEPS CALIFORNICUS, AMERICAN EARED GREBE. 



Primaries as in tbe adults, Lut -without the reddish tinge ; a few of the innermost ones 

 sometimes white tipped. Sides under the wings washed with a lighter shade of the 

 color of the back ; lower belly grayish. * 



I)imc)inio)i.'i. — Length, 12 to 14 inches, usuallj' 13 or less; extent, 21.G0 to 24; wing, 

 4.75 to 5.2.5 ; bill, 1 or less; aloug gape, 1.25; height at nostril, 0.22; width there, 0.2G; 

 tarsus, 1.60; middle toe and claw, 1.95. 



While the breediug plumages of P. cornutun and the present species are widely differ- 

 ent, there is much similarity between the young and winter dress of the two species. 

 As a rule, auritiis is smaller ; even traces of ruffs are less ai)preciable ; the fore-neck is 

 scarcely lighter thau the hind -neck ; tlie back is rather deeper colored and uu)re uni- 

 form. The shay»e and proportions of the bill, however, furnish the most reliable char- 

 acters. The ditfereuces may be thus tabulated: 



P. coniiilus : Bill rather slender, nmch compressed, tip rather obtuse ; lateral outlines 

 concave ; height at nostrils greater than width ; culmen nearly straight over nostrils, 

 very convex at the end ; gouys convex, little ascending, with little appreciable angle. 



P. anrUus: Bill rather stout, much depressed, tip very acute; lateral outlines con- 

 vex ; height at nostrils less than width ; culmen decidedly concave at nostrils, scarcely 

 convex at tip ; gonys straight, or even concave, much ascending, with quite an angle. 



As I pointed out in 1862, the type of "adifornicus-' is merely the young of the Amer- 

 ican Eared Grebe, now well known from Western United States in all its plumages. I 

 continue to use the name as indicating a bird varietally distinct from the true auriius 

 of Europe. I verify the following distinctions : 



In the American bird, the primaries are all entirely dark; the first two secondaries 

 are mostlj" the same, wliile the bases and shafts of all are for some distance dark. In 

 European avritus, the inner four primaries are entirely ]mre white, and all the rest 

 have more or less white, while the secoud-aries are all entirely white, excejit a few of 

 the innermost, which have a slight dusky spot near the end. Thus the European has 

 much more white on the wing, and this white is moreover bodily shifted, as it were, 

 nearer the outer edge of the wiug. I do not know how much the extent of the white 

 may change with age, or what is its limit of individual variability; but the above dif- 

 ferences hold throughout a quite extensive series of specimens examined. 



The Colymhus aiirittts of Liunanis has been by many referred to P. corntttus, Gm., and 

 the name nifj)'icoUls, after Sundevall, adopted for the present species. The case seems 

 parallel with that of Sterna hinindo, Linn., and I see no necessity for the undesirable 

 change of names, especially as Linmeus apparently included both species uiider the 

 term auritus. Audubon's auriUis maj^ have been really based upon auritus proper, but 

 he meant the American bird. 



The abundance and general dispersion of tljis species in the West 

 have only lately become known. The earlier authors were not aware of 

 its existence in this country ; Audubon floures and describes specimens 

 said to be North American, and his account is copied, so late as 1858, 

 by Mr. Lawrence, in default of specimens. In the article above quoted 

 I showed that P. '•^ californicus''^ was the young of the Eared Grebe, 

 pointing out, at the same time, certain distinctions between the bird of 

 this country and of Europe, which I considered sufficient to warrant 

 their separation. The points mentioned appear to hold good, though I 

 am at present disinclined to accord them more than varietal signifi- 

 cance. In 1859 Maximilian gave a full account of the bird, and of kite 

 quotations have multiplied until its range has been determined as above 

 given. 



I first saw the species alive in Southern California, where I found it 

 to be very common, both on the waters of the bay of San Pedro and in 

 the sloughs back of the coast. They were of course in immature dress, 

 the season being November. During the past year I was pleased to 

 find the birds breeding, in pools about Turtle Mountain, with various 

 other water-fowl. This is apparently the northeasternmost point at 

 which the species has been observed. Visiting this locality in July, I 

 was too late for eggs, for the young were already swimming, and, in 

 most cases, fledged. The birds were very common, rather more so than 

 P. comutus, with which they were associated. Many specimens were 

 secured in their full nuptial dress. The change begins in August, but it 

 is not comi)leted until well into the following montli, as traces of the 

 breeding plumage persist several weeks after it has grown faded and 



