PODICEPS CALIFORNICUS, AMERICAN EARED GREBE. 785 



obscure. On the breediug- gTouiuls, as just said, the Eared Grebes were 

 more ])lentitul than tbe Horned, since a majority of the latter breed 

 further north ; but upon the migration, when these come south, tbe pro- 

 portion is reversed. Both species were to be seen together upon all the 

 water-courses of Northern Dakota when I left the country in the middle 

 of October. I saw nothing notably different in their general habits. 



Other observers have found the Eared Grebe in full dress, and nest- 

 ing, in various of our western Territories, demonstrating a very general 

 breeding range. Mr. Ueushaw has lately taken the eggs in Southern 

 Colorado. He informs us that he found them, in the absence of pa- 

 rents, comi)letely covered over and concealed by reedy material, so that 

 they were discovered by mere accident. The following is his article in 

 the American Naturalist above quoted : 



" In a series of alkali lakes about thirty miles northwest of Fort Gar- 

 land, Southern Colorado, I found this species common and breeding. 

 A colony of perhaps a dozen pairs had established themselves in a small 

 pond four or five acres in extent. In the middle of this, in a bed of 

 reeds, were found upward of a dozen nests. These in each case merely 

 consisted of a slightly hollowed pile of decaying weeds and rushes, four 

 or five inches in diameter, and scarcely raised above the surface of the 

 water upon which they tloated. In a number of instances they were 

 but a few feet distant" from the nests of the Coot {Fnlica americana), 

 which abounded. Every Grebe's nest discovered contained three eggs, 

 which in most instances were fresh, but in some nests were consider- 

 ably advanced. These vary but little in shape, are considerably elon- 

 gated, one end being slightly more pointed than the other. They vary 

 in length from 1.70 to 1.80, and in breadth 1.18 to 1.33. The color is 

 a faint yellowish white, usually much stained from contact with the 

 nest. The texture is generally quite smooth, in some instances rough- 

 ened by a chalky deposit. The eggs were wholly concealed from view 

 by a pile of weeds and other vegetable material laid across. That they 

 were thus carefully covered merely for concealment 1 cannot think, 

 since in the isolated position in which these nests are usually Ibuud the 

 bird has no enemy against which such precaution would avail. On first 

 approaching the locality the Grebes all congregated at the further end 

 of the i)oud, and shortly betook themselves through an opening to the 

 neighboring slough ; nor, so far as I could ascertain, did they again ap- 

 proach the nests during my stay of three days. Is it not, then, possible 

 that they are more or less dependent for the hatching of their eggs upon 

 the artificial heat induced by the decaying vegetable substances of 

 which the nests are wholly composed f 



Suhgeniis TACHYBArTES, Reich. 



Bill vcrj' short, much less thau the head, scarcely over half the tarsus ; stont, little 

 conii>ress('cl, rather obtuse. Lateral outlines nearly straight; culmon slijjhtly concave 

 at tiie nostrils, elsewhere convex; coinuiissure Ktrai;j;lit, except a little sinuatiou at 

 hase ; under outline strai<;ht t() an}:;le, gonys thence .straij^lit to tip, the anyle well ile- 

 liucd. WiMj;s short, ■with eonsitlcralile and ahrupt attenuation oi the outer primaries. 

 Tarsus stout, little over three-lourths the middle toe and elaw ; outi r lateral nhout cipial 

 to the nnddle toe. Size very small ; body lull ; neck short ; no decided crests or mils. 

 (Type /'. minor : these characters drawn from 1'. domiiiinis.) 



Tliis section in a measure connects J'udiajm witli I'oiHliimhiis. By G. R. Gray Sylbeo- 

 ci/e/((«. Bp., is j^iveu as founded on /'. vtitiur ; but Bonaparte expressly says (Cat. Met. 

 IJcc. 1H42, H:?) that this was a typo;^raphical error, he haviii;^ intended the name for C, 

 jiodUcjiH, Linn. Dr. Sclater has lately called attention to the point (Uiis, .Ian. If^lA). 

 Jt may be a technical <pU'stioii, however, alter all, whetlier an author nuist uot bo hold 

 to wh.it he ilitl say, rather than to what he meant to say. 



