310 COLYMBIDE. 



land floats on the surface of the water. When once alarmed 

 it dives to a great distance, and on coming to the surface 

 immediately takes wing. The young of this bird, known by 

 the name of the Dusky Grebe, is very rare in both countries. 

 I have seen very few, and these only in spring, on the lakes 

 near to, or communicating with, the sea. Two or three pairs 

 used to frequent the Loch of Stenness, in the neighbourhood 

 of Stromness."" 



Mr. Proctor, subcurator of the Durham University Mu- 

 seum, visited Iceland in the summer of 1887, and observed 

 that " this bird frequents the fresh waters there, and breeds 

 amidst the reeds and other rank herbage. The nest is large, 

 and floats on the surface of the water, with which it rises and 

 falls. It is composed of a mass of reeds and other aquatic 

 plants. The eggs vary in number from two to four, and are, 

 when just laid, of a bluish-white ; but they soon become 

 stained by the materials of which the nest is composed. The 

 size of the egg is one inch and three-quarters long, by one 

 inch and one quarter in breadth. The young birds, when 

 first hatched, are covered with grey-coloured down. No 

 sooner does the old bird perceive danger from any intruder, 

 than she instantly dives, and emerges at thirty or forty yards'* 

 distance. One day during my sojourn in Iceland, having 

 observed one of these birds dive from its nest, I placed my- 

 self with my gun at my shoulder, waiting its re-appearance. 

 As soon as it emerged I fired and killed it, and was surprised 

 to see two young ones, which it seems had been concealed 

 beneath the wings of the parent bird, drop upon the water. 

 I afterwards shot several other birds of this species, all of 

 which dived with their young under their wings. The young 

 were placed with their heads towards the tail, and their bills 

 resting on the back of the parent bird." 



M. Nilsson says this species is not very common in 

 Sweden, but breeds there in the reedy parts of shallow 

 waters. M. Temn)inck says it is rare in Holland, but more 



