180 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



in 1874. " At first I kept it indoors, when it was 

 most amusing to see it run about the rooms as hard 

 as it could go, keeping itself perfectly erect on its 

 legs. I never saw it attempt to fly, though it 

 would sometimes flutter its wings when it ran, as 

 if it intended to rise, but it never acturdly got off 

 the ground. I suppose it either did not get run 

 enough to give it impetus, or it wanted a strong 

 wind to rise against. It would stand as it ran, very 

 erect on its legs ; but I never saw it sitting up witli 

 the back part of the tarsus on the ground, as 

 Grebes are so frequently figured as doing, and as 

 Guillemots and Razorbills do. We were obliged 

 to feed it entirely on fish, live ones for preference, 

 which it would catch out of a pan of water with 

 great dexterity. If a fish hid under a stone or 

 some bits of weed in the water in the pan, the 

 Grebe would either turn him out of his hiding 

 place, or failing that lie in wait for him to come 

 out. It would eat a few other things, such as 

 worms, while it was in the house, would occasionally 

 catch and eat a black beetle, especially if it was 

 put into its water- pan, but did not really care much 

 for anything but fish [Mr, G. F. Mathew found the 

 elytra of two or three species of Coleoptera in his 

 specimen of the Eared Grebe]. It died after I had 

 had it a week, whether from any injury it received 

 when first taken, or because I could not get it 

 fish enough, I do not quite know. It was a male 

 bird, in almost complete breeding plumage. While 



