THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 179 



the Taw and Torridge in North Devon. Gatcombe's 

 notes of such Sclavonian Grebes, as came under 

 his own notice at Plymouth, refer chiefly to the 

 months of December and January. 



EARED GREBE.— Pod icij)es nigricoUis (Brehm). 



A EAEE spring and winter visitant to our estuaries, 

 usually met with in immature plumage. There 

 are, however, four separate records of its occurrence 

 in Devonshire in full, or nearly full nuptial dress. 

 Baron A. von Hiigel reports that ' ' an old bird in 

 full summer dress, shot off Paignton in May, 1858," 

 is preserved in the Torquay Museum (Zool. 1874. 

 p. 3908). Mr. G. F. Mathew records a fine male 

 shot out of a party of five on the Taw near 

 Barnstaple,. April 7th, 1865 (Zool. 1865. p. 9618). 

 " This," he adds " is the first time to my knowledge 

 that it has been noticed in the North of Devon." 

 Mr. Cecil Smith has given a delightful account of a 

 male bird captured in the same locality in April, 

 1874, and sent to him by Mr. Rowe (Zool. 1875. p. 

 4333). Lastly, Mr. Gatcombe examined a beautiful 

 adult in perfect breeding plumage, killed in 

 Plymouth Sound, March 23rd, 1871 (Zool. 1871. p. 

 2646). Gatcombe adds, '' A few immature examples 

 are occasionally obtained on our coast during the 

 autumn and winter, but many years have elapsed 

 since I examined a previous adult specimen." 

 Mr. Cecil Smith writes, of the bird sent to him alive 



