Sep THE PI ED- BILLED GREBE. 



No. 359. 



PIED-BILLED GREBE. 



A. O. U. No. 6. Podilymbus podiceps (Linn.). 



Synonyms. — \\'atkr-vvitch. HELL-nniCK. Dakcjiick. DiedappEk. Dii'PKr. 

 1 '.1.1 Ml T\Air.. 



Description. — .hhilt in iinl^tial phiimujc: Cliiii and iliroat glossy black: to]) 

 of head and neck black with an admixture of brownish in hair-lines and streaks ; 

 the forehead with many shortened, webless. glossy, black shafts; sides of head 

 gray, passing into grayish-brown on sides and front of neck; lower neck and 

 breast and sides mostly blackish, heavily tipped in i)arted hair-lines with fiilvons 

 and ochraceons; underparts silky grayish-white mottled with underlying dusky, 

 and heavily shaded on sides and behind; al)ove clear brownish-black; secondaries 

 varied and" mottled with some white; bill slu.irt and stout, liluish-whilo, crossed 

 at the nostril by a heavv black band; feet greenish-black. .Idiilt in T.'i/(/cr; 

 Without black on head ; crown dark brown shading on sides of head to whitish 

 of throat; neck, fore-breast, and sides strongly tinged with brownish ochraceons; 

 belly dingy white, unmottled ; bill without black band, fininatiiir: Like adult in 

 winter, Init sides of head with more or less distinct stripes of brown. Length 

 12.00-15-on (304.8-381); wing 5.10 (12().5); bill .80 (20.3); along ga|)e 1.J5 

 (31. .8) ; dciilb at nostril .43 I lo.g) ; tarsus 1.53 131J.4). 



Recognition Marks. — Teal size; bill short and stout, its black band dis- 

 tinctive during breeding sea'^oii, its shape sulticiently so at other times; head 

 and neck brownish with dull whitish throat in winter jilumage. 



Nesting. — Xcst: a floating nr half -submerged mound of decayed vegetation 

 in opi'u space of swani]) water, liihjs: 4-8, dull white or pale greenish buff, 

 usuall}- more or less discolored by contact with water-soaked nest. .\y. size, 

 1.75 XT. 20 (44.5x30.5). Season: c. May 20, East-side; .Xpiil. West-side 

 ( Tacoma, .\pril 7, 1006, 7 eggs); one brood. 



General Range. — Ih'itish Provinces southward to Brazil, Argentine Republic, 

 and Chili ; the West Indies and Lennuda. breeding locally nearly thruont its range. 



Range in Washington. — Common resident and migrant on lakes and 

 ponds thruont the S^tate; occasionally taken on salt water. 



Authorities. — Lawrence, Rej). I'ac. K. R. Surv. IX. i8s8, p. Soq. Ci.'vS. Kk. 

 B. E. 



Specimens. — ( U. of W. ) Prov. B. 



^^'I^ are all inclined to suspect what we cannot understand, and to 

 dislike what persistentl\- circunixeuts. The Pied-billed C.rebe is the Caliban 

 of the swamp and liis ways are dark and (le\ ions. .\t least so we lunnans 

 judge; but as cold matter of fact the Dab's only olYense is his sleek in- 

 nocuoiisuess, which irritates mir feelings where it does not work po.Mtix'e 

 injurv to society. 



