TIPPET GREBE, 213 
sides of the tarsus are similarly regularly scutellate in double rows, the posterior 
edge being scutellated, the scutes projecting so as to form a serrated ridge. The 
feet are placed very far back in the body. 
There is a full double crest in the breeding-season ; general coloration above 
brown, below white. 
147. Podiceps cristatus.—TIPPET GREBE. 
[Colymbus cristatus Linné, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 135, Jan. Ist, 1758: Sweden, Europe. 
Extra-limital.] 
Gould, Vol. VII., pl. 80 (pt. xvm.), Dec. Ist, 1844. Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 5, pl. 64, Oct. 31st, 
1911. 
Podiceps cristatus christiant Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. I., pt. 5, p. 267, pl. 64, Oct. 31st, 
1911: Victoria. 
Distrisution.—Australia generally and Tasmania. 
Adult male in breeding-plumage.—Upper-surface brown, including the head 
(which has a double crest), hind-neck, mantle, scapulars, and upper back ; lower 
back somewhat darker and inclining to dusky-brown ; marginal wing-coverts white, 
median and greater coverts brown like the bastard-wing and primary-coverts ; 
primary-quills similar in colour, paler on the inner webs and white at the base ; 
secondaries white, the inner ones brown on the outer webs and tips, the innermost 
like the back; humerals white, outer ones slightly margined with brown ; lores 
whitish ; the ruff on the upper neck and throat chestnut, tipped with black ; middle 
of throat, sides of the face, fore-neck, breast, abdomen, axillaries, and under wing- 
coverts pearly-white ; sides of body brown; bill dark horn colour; iris red ; 
upper-surface of the tarsi and toes dark olive-green, under-surface pale yellow. 
Total length 520 mm.; culmen 53, wing 180, tarsus 59. 
Female (adult) —Similar to the bird described above. 
The winter-plumage seems to be the same. 
Immature.—Similar to the adult but lacking the crest and paler; the head 
pale greyish-black, the feathers of the fore-head and superciliary stripe with white 
tips ; the feathers of the neck with a chestnut wash, the throat is white, the chestnut 
coloration of the adult missing and the flanks scarcely brown tinged. 
Nestling in down.—Head and all upper-surface pale buff, longitudinally striped 
with black, the stripes down the middle of the back broadest ; the under-surface 
yellowish-white ; the fore-head is whitish with the top of the head white, a black 
bar across the centre ; three stripes can be counted on each side of the neck and 
there is a blotch at the gape, the winglet is black striped ; the bill is yellowish, 
white at the tips and crossed by two black bars ; legs and feet olive. 
Immature, just losing down.—ts pale grey above striped with black similarly 
to the nestling. As it grows it loses the striping, retaining it longest on the head 
and neck. 
Nest.—Constructed of rushes, weeds, ete. Placed low in the water, and always 
damp. Dimensions outside 18 to 20 in. by 12 to 18 deep; egg cavity 6 in. by 3 
deep. 
Eggs.—Clutch, five; ground-colour pale green, coated over with a thin layer of 
lime, which soon becomes nest-stained (brown); axis 50 to 52 mm., diameter 
34-36. 
Breeding-scason.—November to December. 
Distribution and forms.—Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 
In 1911 Mathews suggested the recognition of five forms, as follows: P. c. cristatus 
(Linné) for European birds ; P. c. infuscatus Salvadori for African birds, which are 
probably separable into two races, a North African and a South African one; the 
difference in the superciliary stripe had been before indicated and has since been 
