FOBICIPIBM. 345 



PODICIPIDiE*. 



398. Podiceps Cristatus, Linn. Great Crested Grebe. 



Podiceps cristatus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 388. 

 „ „ Layard's Cat. No. G91. 



,, „ Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 423. 



„ „ Gurney in Ibis, 1869, p. 303. 



I have only observed this handsome species on the 

 sea-coast, chiefly at or near Walwich Bay, and there by 

 no means numerously. 



It is seldom that more than three or four of these 

 Grebes are seen together, and generally not so many. 

 They are rather wary, but may nevertheless be success- 

 fully surprised if the sportsman is acquainted with their 

 habits. 



Not unfrequently they may be seen asleep on the 

 water, when of course it does not require much art to 

 secure them. It is, however, a bad plan to fire at them 

 in such a position, as there is then but a small portion 

 of the body exposed to view ; it is best to startle the 

 birds lightly, when they immediately stretch forth their 



* [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a male specimen in breeding- 

 plumage of Poclica Petersi, Hartl. ; but this species is not referred to in his 

 MS. notes, and I can find no trace of where the specimen in question was 

 obtained. Under these circumstances, and especially as the collection which 

 INIr. Andersson had formed contained several specimens from the Knysna, I 

 do not feel at liberty to include Podica Petersi amongst the species enumerated 

 in the present volume. 



I may take this opportunity of mentioning that I cannot agree with Mr. 

 G. R. Gray, in his ' Hand-list of Birds,' and with Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, 

 in their work on the birds of East Africa, in placing the family of Helior- 

 nithidae next to that of Gallinulidae ; in my view it should follow tlie Podi- 

 cipidae, which it appears to me, in some respects, naturally to connect with 

 the genus Plains. — Ed.] 



