LITTLE GREBE. 819 



The adult bird in summer, represented in the illustration 

 by the one which is swimming, has the beak black, the tip 

 of a light horn colour, the upper mandible straight, the under 

 mandible brought to a point by a line directed obliquely up- 

 wards from the symphysis, or junction of the two portions ; 

 the soft part of both mandibles, forming the angle at the gape, 

 yellowish-white ; irides reddish-brown ; head, back of the 

 neck, and all the upper surface of the body, very dark brown, 

 almost black ; the secondary quill-feathers white, but these 

 are not seen when the wings are closed ; chin black ; cheeks, 

 sides and front of the upper part of the neck reddish-chest- 

 nut ; under surface of the body dull greyish-white ; sides 

 under the wings and the flanks dusky-brown ; legs and toes 

 dark greenish-brown. The whole length nine inches and a 

 half. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing four 

 inches and one quarter. In this state of plumage it is the 

 Podiceps hebridi'cus, or Black-chin Grebe of authors, which 

 is now known to be only the summer appearance of Podiceps 

 minor, the Little Grebe. 



Adult birds in winter have the under mandible lighter in 

 colour than the upper ; the latter being dark brown ; head, 

 back of the neck, and all the upper surface of the body, clove- 

 brown ; some of the primary quill-feathers, as well as the 

 secondaries, greyish-white, but only seen when the wing is 

 extended ; chin white ; front of the neck ash-brown ; breast 

 and belly shining greyish-white ; sides under the wing, and 

 the flanks, ash-brown. Young birds of the year, in their 

 first winter, have the beak yellow-brown ; the head and back 

 of a still lighter brown colour than old birds in winter ; chin 

 white ; sides of the neck pale wood-brown ; under surface of 

 the body and the sides clouded with brown, on a ground 

 colour of greyish-white. 



The plumage of the very young chick has been already 

 noticed. 



