EARED GREBE 527 
the nests almost touched one another (Saunders). The eggs, 
three to five in number, characteristic in colour and shape, 
become stained as incubation proceeds, especially when laid 
in floating nests which are constantly in a state of moisture. 
The EKared Grebe may have bred in Norfolk, as a couple of 
downy nestlings have been obtained with an adult in full 
breeding- plumage (Booth, ‘Rough Notes.’ 
In the ‘ Zoologist,’ 1904, pp. 417-420, Mr. O. V. Aplin 
contributes an interesting article relating to the breeding 
of this species in the British Isles. He states that he has 
received satisfactory evidence that several pairs reared their 
young in Britain during the summer of 1904. On June 3rd, 
two pairs with their young were seen, and a few days later 
five pairs with young were seen. The discoverers, whom 
Mr. Aplin vouches are well known to ornithologists, prefer 
to remain anonymous, nor do they wish to divulge the name 
of the locality in which the birds were found with their off- 
spring. The nature of the site 1s described as ‘‘a shallow 
Jake about three-quarters of a mile in length. The sur- 
rounding ground is very marshy, and perhaps half the area 
of the lake itself is covered by beds of club-rush, bogbean, 
pondweed, and persicaria.” ‘The habits of the parent- -birds 
and the young were carefully noted. In the * Zoologist,’ 
1906, p. 815, Mr. Aplin, in a note, states that he visited the 
above breeding-haunts and observed through strong glasses, 
four or five adult Kared Grebes in full breeding- -plumage. 
It is not improbable that this species may have nested in 
several of the southern and eastern counties of England, 
where specimens from time to time have been obtained in 
full nuptial-dress. It is noteworthy, as pointed out by Mr. 
Aplin, that “parts of the British Islands he within the 
geographical breeding range of this species.’ 
Geographical distr ibution.—Abroad, i in Southern Kurope, 
North Africa, and Temperate Asia, eastward to the Pacific, 
the EKared Grebe nests freely; in Central Europe more 
sparingly. Its breeding-range reaches to about 55° N. lat. 
in some countries, notably Denmark and Prussia. Its 
winter-range extends to the shores of Central Africa, Arabia, 
and India, 2:¢., about lat. 22° N: 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial.—Head, neck, and throat, 
black with a faint greyish gloss; a triangular patch of 
