Foe 
786 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
besides considerably raising the body. If these birds are seen 
swimming in deep water, but within gunshot of the shore, the 
gunner should run as fast as possible straight for the birds, and as 
far as the land will allow him, when they rarely take wing, but 
appear surprised and half-stupified. When fired at they dive if not 
killed, but generally reappear within range for a second or even a 
third shot. In shallow water, however, they are difficult to reach, 
as in such positions they take wing at once on the slightest approach 
of danger. I dissected all the specimens which I obtained, and 
invariably found that the stomach contained scarcely anything but 
fine sea-grasses; this species does, however, feed on shrimps, sea- 
lice, small mollusca, &c.” 
General colour above, greyish-black, tinged with rufous; on the 
wing a large white patch; under parts pure white; greyish on the 
breast and flanks ; head ornamented with a double crest, and throat 
with a large ruff; top of the head, crest, back of neck, anterior and 
lower portion of neck ruff shining black, tinged here and there with 
rufous; chin white, changing into golden-yellow and rufous on the 
ruff; below the ruff white, tinged with rufous; tail spurious; iris 
red. Length, 20’; wing, 74”. 
Fig. Dresser, B. Eur. viii, pl. 619. 
767. Popicers niakicotiis, Sund. Eared Grebe. 
Podiceps auritus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 374. 
The Eared Grebe was unknown to us as an inhabitant of South 
Africa until the year 1859, when, having an opportunity of visiting 
Vogel Vley, in the Wellington district, we found it breeding in 
considerable numbers amid the rushes that border portions of that 
lake. Hach pair seemed to keep guard over its special province, 
and never to stray to any distance from the haunt. The nest was 
constructed of sedge, and was a large compact structure; the eggs, 
four or five in number, are chalky white. Mr. Ayres states that it 
breeds in the Transvaal ‘“‘in December, in most of the shallow 
lagoons, in from two to three feet of water, amongst the rushes. 
The nests, which float on the water, are formed of a mass of rushes 
built in a conical form, about a foot in diameter, and two or three 
inches out of the water. On leaving the nest, the old bird always 
carefully covers the eggs with rushes ; and any person unacquainted 
with this habit would pass the nest as an unsightly heap of rotten 
