THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 587 



395.— Eared Grebe [Ohren-Lappentaucher]. 

 PODICEPS AURITUS, Latham.i 



Colymbus anritus. Nauuiann, ix. 768. 



Eared Grebe. Dresser, viii. 645. 



Grebe oreillard. Temminck, Mamid, ii. 725, iv. 451. 



This bird — the specimen was in its winter phimage — has onlj' 

 been seen and shot here once. This rare occurrence is explained 

 by the range of its breeding haunts, which, though extending 

 from Spain to Japan, only advance to a limited extent to the north 

 of the coasts of North Germany ; thus Collett has only once obtained 

 it in Norway. In Africa its nesting stations extend to the southern- 

 most parts of that continent. 



396. — Little Grebe [Kleiner Lappextauciier]. 

 PODICEPS MINOR, Latham.^ 



Heligolandish : Liitj iiiedn = Little Silky {Grebe). 



Colymbus minor. Naumann, ix. 7S5. 

 Little Grebe. Dresser, viii. 659. 



Grebe castagneux. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 727, iv. 452. 



This gnome-like little bird, the smallest of the Grebes, occurs 

 here in sufficient quantities to be well known to everybody ; though 

 old individuals in fine plumage are much less numerous. Young 

 birds of the year are by no means of uncommon occurrence, and 

 now and then one may even be met with late in autumn. 



The following instance illustrates to what remarkable shifts 

 birds are sometimes obliged to resort during their migrations. 

 Fifty years ago when Reymers held the ornithological sovereignty 

 of this island, the majority of the houses were provided with large 

 barrels and casks for catching rain-water, at that time the only 

 fresh- water supplies of the island. Just such an arrangement existed 

 at Reymers' house. Early one morning he heard his wife calhng 

 out loudly — ' Peter, Peter, make haste and come, there is a rat in 

 our water-butt ! ' But instead of the familiar rodent, honest old 

 Peter, to his great jo}', found a Little Grebe diving up and down in 

 the butt with lightning-like rapidity ; nor was it by any means an 

 easy task to secure it. 



' Podicipea nigricollis (Brehm). * Podicipes flziviatilis (Tuiistall) 



