BTEDS — COLYMBIDAE — P0DICEP3 CRISTATUS 



893 



The American bird has been separated from the Red-necked Grebe of Europe by Eeinhardt, 

 under the name of holholli, principally on account of its being somewhat larger. On comparing 

 specimens obtained here with European specimens of " ruhricollis," ours appear somewhat 

 larger, and generally with a longer bill ; but in this family individuals vary much in size. The 

 bills of the specimens of " ruhricollis" from Europe measured 1^ inches ; in ours they ranged 

 from If to 2 inches. 



Writers differ as to their being specifically distinct, and as I am not able to make out satis- 

 factorily that they are sp, shall for the present consider them the same. 



List of specimens. 



PODICEPS CEISTATOS, Lath. 



The Crested Grebe. 



Coiymbus crislaliis, Linv. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 222. 



Podicfps crislatus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 1790.— Rich, fc Sw. P. B. A. II, 1831, 410— Ndtt. Man. II, 1834, 250 —Add. 



Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 595 ; pi. 292 — Ib. Birds Am. VII, 1844, 308 ; pi. cccclx.\ix. 

 Coiymbus urinalor, Li.vn. Syst. Nat. ], 1766, 223. 



Sp. Ch. — .lilttlt. Front, upper part of the head, and long occipital tufts dark umber brown, the base of the tufts brownish 

 red ; the rutf is bright brownish red on the upper portion immediately under the tufts and anteriorly, on the hind part brownish 

 black ; upper plumage dark umber brown ; humeral feathers white ; primaries umber brown ; secondaries mostly white ; throat 

 and sides of the head white ; fore part and sides of the neck adjoining the ruff brownish red ; under plumage silvery white ; 

 sides dusky, tinged with reddish brown ; bill blackish brown, tinged with carmine ; bare loral space dusky green ; iris bright 

 car. nine ; tarsi and feet greenish black e.xternally, greenish yellow internally ; webs greyish blue. 



Length, 23^ inches ; wing, 7J ; bill, 2jL ; tarsus, 2j. 



Young. Upper part of bead dark brown ; hind neck brownish grey ; back and wings brownish black ; humeral feathers 

 white ; primaries dark umber brown on the outer webs, paler on the inner ; lower parts silvery white, sides brown ; upper 

 mandible brownish black, pale at the end and yellow on the sides at the bsso ; lower mandible yellow with the sides dnsky. 



Hab. — Atlantic States from Nova Scotia southward ; Texas in winter ; fur countries. Pacific side of the continent ; Wash- 

 ington Territory. 



Two specimens of the young are in the collection from Shoalwater bay, W. T. These have 

 larger and stronger bills than the adult bird sent me by Prof. Baird from his cabinet, and of 

 two adult specimens in my collection^ in one specimen, No. 4499, measuring 2^ inches along 

 the ridge, the adult having it but 2^-^, (tbe measure given by Audubon is 2 inches) ; the 

 outliile of the lower mandible from the angle to the point is concave, whereas in the adult it is 

 a little rounding, but they have one of the strongest characteristics of this species, the white 

 humeral feathers. It may, possibly, be a closely allied, but distinct species. This can only be 

 satisfactorily determined by obtaining it in spring plumage. 



Both the above specimens were obtained by Dr. J. G. Cooper, and if future research should 

 prove it to be distinct, I propose for it the specific name of cooperi, in honor of its discoverer. 



