THE HORNED GREBE. 88 







No. 357. 



HORNED GREBE. 



A. O. U. Xo. 3. Colymbus auritus Linn. 



Description. — Adult in nuptial plumage: Fcirehead and crown, with throat 

 and sides of head aronnd on nape, sooty blaci<. deepening and becoming glossy 

 posteriorly; area inchuled by these patches (lores and sides of crown) buffy och- 

 raceous, 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; upperparts gravish black, becoming 

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

 primaries clear light brown ; secondaries mostly white, forming a quasi speculum ; 

 bill black with yellow on lower mandible and tip; feet duskv externally, in- 

 ternally mostly yellow. Adult in zcintcr and inunaturc: No rufous anywhere; 

 above uniform graj-ish black; below, including sides of head, pure white, some- 

 times tinged on neck and fore-breast with ashy brown; sparingly dusky-shaded 

 on sides; bill with less black. Length 12.50-15.00 (317.5-381 ) ; wing 5.37 ( 136.4) ; 

 bill .93 (23.6), depth at base .32 (8.1 ) ; tarsus 1.82 (46.2). 



Recognition Marks. — Teal size ; breeding plumage with black and red on 

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

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

 mark in winter; not certainly distinguishable out of hand from the next species, 

 in winter plumage. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Xcst: of half-submerged or 

 floating vegetation, usually anchored to reeds growing in swamp water. Eggs: 

 2-7, elongated oval, pale bluish white, but usually more or less discolored by nest. 

 Av. size, 1.75x1.18 (44.5x30). 



General Range. — Xorthern lK-mis])here ; breeds from northern United States 

 northward. 



Range in Washington. — Common winter resident and migrant thruout the 

 State; abinidant on salt water. 



Authorities. — Podiccps cornutus. Lath.. Lawrence, Rep. Lac. R. R. Surv. 

 LX. 1858. p. 896. T. C&S. Rh. D'. Kk. B. E. 

 Specimens.— ( L'. of W.) Prov. R. BN. E. 



APPARENTLY nothing is more attractive to a school of herring (all 

 little fish which attend school are herring for practical jjurposes) than a maze 

 of piles supporting a wharf. They crowd into the shadowy aisles and survey 

 the retreating vistas with the dumb wonder of children at Karnak. A few 

 nibble at the hieroglyphics traced by barnacles on the pillars, or tweak in mis- 

 chief at the wan whiskers of the serried anemones. Suddenly a sih-er sliudder 

 thrills the school. A flash of white sides is followed b_\- a dash for the dei)ths, 

 and there emerges from the tumult a gray apparition wdiich resolves itself into 



