722 SLAVONIAN OR HORNED GREBE. 



in Alaska and throughout the Fur countries in summer, visiting the 

 northern portions of tlie United States in winter, and occasionally 

 wandering to the Bermudas. Young birds have been met with in 

 the southern part of Greenland ; and an adult female was obtained 

 by the Austro-Hungarian Expedition on June 23rd on the Island of 

 Jan Alayen, the most northern occurrence on record. 



The nest, composed of reeds and other aquatic plants, is usually 

 rather large and floats on the surface of the water, but Dr. Kriiper 

 says that he has found it in a tussock of grass, and once on a stone. 

 The eggs 2-4, or sometimes 5 in number, are of a bluish-white 

 colour when first laid, though they soon become stained : measure- 

 ments I '8 by I "2 5 in. The female dives with the young under 

 her wings, when Proctor observed that the position of the nestlings 

 was with their heads towards the tail of the parent bird, their bills 

 resting upon her back. Messrs. Slater and Carter repeatedly noticed 

 the adults swimming under water after leaving the nest ; their legs, 

 which may almost be called terminal instead of lateral members, 

 giving them somewhat the appearance of large frogs. The food of 

 this species is similar to that of its congeners. 



Full breeding-plumage is not assumed till April. The adult male 

 (figured on the left) has then a tuft of elongated pale chestnut 

 feathers on each side of the head ; crown, forehead, chin and tippet 

 black ; upper parts dark brown ; secondaries chiefly white, except 

 the three outer ones, which are mainly dusky, like the primaries ; 

 neck, breast and flanks warm chestnut ; belly white ; bill straight, 

 nearly black, except the tip which is whitish; irides red; legs and toes 

 dark greenish-brown outside, yellower on the inner surface. Length 

 1 3 "5 in. ; wing 5*5 in. The female is rather smaller and has less 

 developed head-ornaments, but otherwise the sexes are alike ex- 

 ternally. After the autumn moult the irides are paler, the crest and 

 tuft are absent, and the under-parts are chiefly white, the throat and 

 flanks being streaked with dusky grey. Young birds bear a general 

 resemblance to the adults in winter-plumage, but the cheeks are of a 

 duller white, while the flanks and belly are browner. 



It is unfortunate that the specific name 'ai^ri/us, which Linnceus 

 undoubtedly used for the Slavonian Grebe, should have been diverted 

 by Latham and other authors to the next species ; great confusion 

 being thereby caused. 



