'.26 



British Birds. 



Old World and breeds throughout its range. In England the nest is generally found 

 near the edges of the reeds or among the rubbish which accumulates on the side 

 of a ' Broad ' or lake, but in some places on the Continent of Europe the species breeds 

 in colonies in the reed-beds, and Seebohm says that he found dozens of nests on the 

 Garda Lake, about sixty miles west of the Gulf of Danzig. The nest is made 

 of weeds and sedges ; the three or four eggs are greenish-white, with a chalky 

 covering, and are a little over two inches in length. 



The grey throat of this Grebe distinguishes it from L. cristala 

 in summer plumage, and in winter both old and young birds 

 want the white eyebrow which distinguishes the last-named 

 species. The wing is over si.x inches in length, so that the 

 Red-necked 



THE 



RED-NECKED 



GREBE. 



(Lopluctliyia 

 griseigeua.) 



Grebe cannot 

 be confounded with any of the suc- 

 ceeding species, which it resem- 

 bles somewhat in winter plumage. 

 It is a rare bird in Great 

 Britain, and only visits us in win- 

 ter. Its breeding range extends 

 from Southern Norway to the 

 Baltic provinces, through Russia 

 to Central Asia. It is very com- 

 mon in Northern Germany, where 

 it arrives in April, and builds a 

 floating nest of reeds and decayed 

 water-plants : the eggs are three or 

 four in number, and are greenish- 

 white, with a chalky covering. 

 They measure about two inches 

 in length. 



y^ 



I — The Red-necked Grebe. 2 — The Sclavonian 



Grebe. 3 — The Black-necked Grebe. 



THE 

 SCLAVONIAN 



GREBE. 

 [Dytes auyiius.) 



In the genus Dytcs the bill is shorter and stouter than in 

 Lopli,ith_viii. and the form of the tippet is different, extending 

 round the entire throat, while there is a distinct ciest of rufous 

 plumes on each side of the head above the tippet. The present 

 species is a regular winter visitor to Great Britain, especially 

 to the east coast of England. It nests in Iceland, and throughout Northern Europe 

 and Siberia to North America. In winter it is found in the Mediterranean and also 

 extends as far as the Bermudas. The nest is built, after the manner of all Grebes, 

 in a fresh-water lake. The eggs are four or five in number, and are greenish-white 

 with the usual chalky coating; the length is about an inch-and-threc-quarters 

 to nearly two inches. 



