nian\ liinls. iiu-ludiiiL;' almost every kind nesliiii^ on or near the fjroutid. and 

 everywhere they levy a heavy toll upon small insectivorous si)ecies. L'nquestion- 

 ably, if the number of birds is to be materially increased, measures must be taken 

 to dispose of roving cats. Grosbeaks are usually able to defend themselves and 

 their nests against the English sparrow, but for the sake of other small birds the 

 numbers of this foreign pest should be materially reduced. 



Present investigations prove that the services of grosbeaks in destroying 

 insect pests are invaluable, liach kind pays special attention to certain pests 

 which if unchecked would cause enormous losses. Few of our birds are to be 

 credited with more good and with fewer evil deeds than the grosbeaks, and none 

 more clearly deserve protection by the practical farmer. 



The Horned Grebe {Colymbnr anritns) 

 By W. Leon Dawson 



Length: 12'/. to \? inches. 



Range: Northern hemisiihere; breeds from northern United States north- 

 ward. 



Description. — Adidl in iiuf^tiaJ pliiiiun/c : Forehead and crown, with throat 

 and sides of head around on nape, sooty black, deepening and becoming glossy 

 posteriorly; area included by these patches (lores and sides of crown) buffy 

 ochraceous, changing to rufous on lores and the short dense occipital crest ; neck 

 in front and on sides and fore-breast rich cinnamon-rufous, shading on breast 

 into the satiny white of belly; sides (well up under wing), and flank patches 

 tinged with rufous and overlaid with some dusky; upper parts grayish black. 

 becoming grayish brown on wings and varied by some edging of lighter grayish 

 brown ; ])rimaries clear light brown ; secondaries mostly white, forming a quasi 

 speculum: bill black with yellow on lower mandible and tip; feet dusky ex- 

 ternally, internally mostly yellow. Adult in wiiitrr and iiinnaturc : Xo rufous 

 anywhere; above uniform grayish black; below, including sides of head, pure 

 white, sometimes tinged on neck and fore-breast with ashy brown ; sparingly 

 dusky-shaded on sides ; bill with less black. 



Recognition Marks. — Teal size; breeding plumage with black ai:d red on 

 head (especially red lores) distinctive for size; slender bill; the pure white of 

 throat and sides of head contrasting with blackish above afifords the best field 

 mark in winter. 



Nest, of half-submerged or floating vegetation, usually anchored to reeds 

 growing in swamp water. Eggs, 2-7, elongated (jval, pale bluish white, but 

 usually more or less discolored by nest. -Av. size, 1.75 x 1.18 (44.:^x30). 



It is the sixth day of October. .Six dainty Grebes are dancing before 

 me on the gently ruffled surface of the water-works ])ond. I am within thirty 



458 



