GREAT CRESTED GREBE. EDL 
Their food, procured by diving, is made up of small fish 
and young fry, crustacea, water-insects and their larve, small 
frogs, tadpoles, and parts of plants; and ‘it is a remarkable 
fact that the specimens obtained of this species, invariably 
prove to have feathers in their stomachs, from the breast of 
the bird itself.’ 
The note sounds like the words ‘cuck, cuck, cuck,’ and 
‘eraerr, craryr.’ 
The Loon breeds in fresh water, and makes its nest, such 
as it is, early in the year—in the month of April. It is a 
very large and careless mass of weeds, flags, and other water- 
plants, partly sunk under, and partly raised above the water, 
the top being slightly hollowed. The general width is about 
a foot or a little over, the height about half as much. 
The eggs are three or four, and occasionally five. Four 
appears to be the usual average number, but one of them is 
generally addled. They are concealed by fragments of rushes 
placed over them, and if these be removed others are added. 
Their colour is white or greenish white. 
Yarrell says, ‘The parent birds are very careful of their 
young, taking them down with them for security under their 
wings when they dive.’ According to Meyer, the birds pair 
for life, and haunt the same nesting-place year after year, — 
both assisting in the work of nidification. The young swim 
about as soon as hatched. 
If the nest or eggs be taken, the bird continues laying 
over and over again. 
Male; weight, about two pounds and a half; length, one 
foot nine inches to one foot ten; bill, dusky along the top, 
the base vermilion red, the tip pale horn-colour; between the 
bill and the eye is a bare red space, that is to say, in the 
breeding-season, for afterwards it fades to a dusky colour. Iris, 
bright but pale crimson or pink red; over the eye is a white 
-streak. Forehead and crown, greyish brown; the crest of this 
bird, which is long and silky, is erectible at pleasure, but 
ordinarily stands out backward like two long ears; it is as 
the head, the sides of which shade into yellowish red and 
white, and a ruff round the neck, displayed at pleasure, bright 
ferruginous, edged below with glossy greyish black, often with 
purple and green reflections; the back of the head and the 
neck next to the ruff are of a chesnut red and brownish 
black colour; nape, dusky brown tinged with grey, and often 
glossed with green and purple. Chin, throat, and breast 
