THE HOLBOELL GREBE 883 
No. 356. 
HOLBOELL’S GREBE. 
A. O. U. No. 2. Colymbus holbeellii (Reinh. ). 
Description.—Adult in nuptial plumage: Head with short dense occipital 
crest, heaviest on sides and squarely cut off behind; top of head, including crest, 
ridge of neck behind, and upperparts, very deep hair-brown, or brownish black 
with a sillky sheen, pure on head and neck and wings, with slight edgings of dull 
buffy and ochraceous on back; primaries not difierent; a large white patch on 
central secondaries (recalling the speculum of ducks); throat and sides of head 
pale ashy gray, becoming white on borders; neck in front and on sides bright 
cinnamon-rufous, shading on fore-breast into the silvery white of remaining 
underparts ; posterior feathers dusky-tinged; bill bluish dusky, varied by yellow 
on lower mandible; feet and legs black. Adult in winter and commonly: Similar 
but duller and sides of head pure white; the rufous persistent only on sides of 
neck, and paler, the red replaced by ashy-brown or dull whitish; not crested. 
Immature: Similar to adult in winter but duller; without any rufous; under- 
parts grayish white; neck and breast ashy-fuscous, throat and sides of head lighter, 
but not white; bill lighter; feet and legs mottled with yellow. Length 18.00-20.00 
(457.2-508) ; wing 7.70 (195.6) ; bill 1.90 (48.3) ; tarsus 2.50 (63.5). 
Recognition Marks.—Something under Mallard size (owing to abbreviated 
tail), but appearing larger, nearer Brant size; rufous of neck, when present, dis- 
tinctive; stouter, chunkier proportions, and with shorter neck and shorter heavier 
bill as compared with \estern Grebe. 
Nesting.—WNest: a heap of half-submerged or floating vegetation in pond 
or reedy lake margin. Eggs: 2-5, dull greenish white; except when fresh, heavily 
nest-stained. Av. size, 2.25 x 1.35 (57.2. x 34.3). Season: c. May 20; one brood. 
General Range.—North America at large including Greenland. Also eastern 
Siberia and southward to Japan. Breeds in high latitudes, migrating south in 
winter. 
Range in Washington.—Common winter resident, especially upon salt 
water; common migrant thruout the State; rare breeder upon lakes of the East- 
side only. 
Authorities.—Chapman, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. III. (1890), 129, 155. ‘T'( 2). 
(CS 2 Um IDS Is 5 1B Ey, 
Specimens.—(U. of W.) Prov. B. BN. E. 
IF one frequents the beaches of Puget Sound he soon learns that there is 
a characteristic bird population which stretches along at just a little more 
than shot-gun range from shore. As he advances over the rubble or pauses 
to surmount a wave-worn snag, there is a sound of spattering and whistling 
wings ahead, followed by the inevitable line-up just out of range. In 
any but the summer season, Holboell’s Grebe is almost invariably num- 
bered with this shifting, distrustful company of sea-fowl, Pigeon Guillemots, 
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