142 PODICIPEDID^. 



closed ; chin black ; cheeks, sides and front of the upper 

 part of the neck reddish-chestnut ; under surface of the 

 body dull greyish-white ;' sides under the wings and the 

 flanks dusky-brown ; legs and toes dark greenish. The 

 whole length nine inches and a half. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the wing four inches and a quarter. In 

 this state of plumage it is the Podiceps hebridicus, or 

 Black-chinned Grebe of authors, which is now known to be 

 only our Little Grebe in summer dress. 



Adult birds in winter have the under mandible lighter in 

 colour than the upper; the latter being dark brown ; head, 

 back of the neck, and all the upper surface of the body, 

 clove-brown ; some of the primary quill-feathers, as well as 

 the secondaries, greyish-white, but only seen when the 

 wing is extended ; chin white ; front of the neck ash-brown ; 

 breast and belly shining greyish-white ; sides under the 

 wing and the flanks, ash-brown. Weight 7 ounces. 



Young birds of the year, in their first winter, have the 

 beak yellowish-brown ; the head and back of a still lighter 

 brown colour than old birds in winter ; chin white ; sides 

 of the neck pale wood-brown ; under surface of the body 

 and the sides clouded with brown on a ground-colour of 

 greyish-white. 



An example of the American Pied-billed Grebe {Podilym- 

 hiis podicejJs), stated to have been shot near Weymouth in 

 January, 1881, was exhibited by Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe at 

 a meeting of the Zoological Society (P. Z. S. 1881, p. 734) ; 

 but there seems to be the possibility of an accidental ex- 

 change of specimens having taken place at the bird-stufFer's, 

 and at all events there is no other record of the occurrence 

 of this American species in Europe. 



