COLYMBIDA. 5338 
In a wild state the food of the Little Grebe con- 
sists of small fish, aquatic insects, and some veget- 
able substances. ‘The one that migrated into my 
pond was constantly jumping from the water to pick 
insects from overhanging branches of laurel and 
other shrubs. As is usual with the rest of the 
Grebes, feathers are constantly found in the stomach 
of the present species. 
The nest is a tolerably large structure of aquatic 
plants, placed in the water amongst reeds, rushes and 
coarse herbage. 
The adult bird in summer has the “ bill black, the 
tip of white horn; irides reddish brown; the head, 
back of the neck and all the upper surface of the 
body very dark brown, almost black; the secondary 
quills white ; the chin black; cheeks, sides and front 
of the upper part of the neck reddish chesnut; under 
surface of the body dull greyish white, the sides 
under the wings and the flanks dusky brown; legs 
and toes dark greenish brown.”* One in my col- 
lection in winter plumage has the head, back of the 
neck, back and scapulars very dark olive-brown, with 
a dark streak on the shaft of each feather; wing- 
coverts dark dusky; quills a shade lighter, those 
nearest to the secondaries inclining to white; the 
sides of the face, ear-coverts and neck pale rusty 
brown; chin white; breast clouded; belly white; 
* Yarrell, vol. ili., p. 426. 
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