PODICIPID.E— THE GREBES. 261 



very little above the surface of the water, and contained three 

 eggs. He saw the female, but only at a distance; both this 

 species and the Horned Grebe (('. auritus) being seldom or never 

 seen to leave their nests, as they quietly slip into the water and 

 dive at once. After incubation has begun, the female, when she 

 leaves her nest, covers up her eggs with wet grass taken from 

 the bottom of her nest, unless compelled to depart on the in- 

 stant. In several cases Mr. Kennicott found the eggs quite 

 warm when thus hidden; and he was convinced that the bird 

 could only have just left the nest on his approach, but that she 

 had stopped long enough to conceal her eggs. The top of the 

 nest is always more or less wet, and this causes the discol- 

 oration of the eggs. ( Wat, ,■ Birds of North America, Vol. II., 

 p. 430.) 



Subgenus DYTES Kaup. 



Dytes Kaup, Sk. Ent. Eur Thierw. 1829, 49. Type, Colymbus cornutus Gmel.,= C. auri- 

 tus Linn. 

 Prortopus Kaup, 1. c. Type, Podiceps nigrlcollis Brehm. 

 Otodytes Reich. Syst. Nat. 1853, p. iii. T> pe, P. nigricollis. 



Subuen. Char. Bill much shorter than the head, the culmen equal to about 3 to S 1 - 

 times the basal depth. Otherwise like Colymbus, but size less (wing not more than 6.U0 

 inches). 



The two North American species of this subgenus, both of 

 which occur in Illinois, though very distinct in their nuptial 

 livery, are much alike in their winter and immature plumages. 

 The shape of the bill, however, will enable one to distinguish 

 them readily if the following differences are kept in mind: 



1. C. auritus. Bill compressed (deeper than wide at tin' base); nuptial plumage with 

 lower neck and chest rufons. sides of the occiput with a very lull dense tuft of soft, blended, 

 oohraoeous feathers. 



J. C. nigricollis californicus. Bill depressed broader than deep at the base : nuptial 

 plumage, with head, neck, and chest black, the sides of the head, behind eyes, with a 

 somewhat fan-shaped, loose patch of slender ochraceous feathers. 



Colymbus auritus Linn. 



HORNED GREBE. 

 Popular synonyms. Dusky Grebe; Bolavonlai Hell-diver; Di-dipper. 



ibus auritus I. inn. s. n. ed. 10 I, 1758, 135: ed. 12, 1. 1766,828.— A. o. I. Oheok List, I8W, 



K W. Man. \. Am. I'.. I 



Dytes auritus Uiim.w. Num. n. Am. B. 1831, \ ■ 738 B. B. A R, Water B. N. Am. ii. 



1881. 4:rj. 



