THE 



WILSON BULLETIN 



NO. 48 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHLOGY 



VOL. XVI. SEPTEMBER, 1904 NO. 3 



NOTES ON THE HOLBOELL GREBE 



( Colymbjis holbirllii ) 



BY ROBERT J. SIM. 



Learning of the capture of a Holboell Grebe near Ashta- 

 bula, O., I set out on the first opportunity — Feb. 21, 1904 — 

 to see if I could procure the bird. I found it in the possession 

 of Mr. J. J. Topper of Plymouth. This man said that the 

 bird had been seen in the neighborhood for about a week 

 when he took it in thinking to prevent it from starving. It 

 seemed to have come down to a pond near by which was cov- 

 ered with a sheet ot "glary" ice, and was unable to rise. Judg- 

 ing from the tracks in the snow as Mr. Topper said, the bird 

 had been trying to reach some wild rose hips that still clung 

 to the bushes. Before the grebe came into my possession 

 strips of fresh fish and raw oysters had been offered it to no 

 purpose, but a little piece of bread had been forced down its 

 throat. This must have been about all the nourishment the 

 bird had had for nearly two weeks. I found it exceedingly 

 thin but able to run about. Bringing it home I kept it in a 

 room where we saw much of each other every day. On the 

 third day of May it was liberated on a small clear pond near 

 Mills Creek, west of Jefferson. Thus it will be seen that this 

 bird was kept in confinement for over two months, during 

 which time opportunity for considerable study was afforded. 

 Below its various occupations and actions are described as 

 closely as my notes allow. 



