890 THE PIED-BILLED GREBE. 
No. 359. 
| PIED-BILLED GREBE. 
“4 
A. O. U. No. 6. Podilymbus podiceps (Linn.). 
Synonyms.—W ater-witcu. Hevi-piver. Darcuick. Diepapper. Dipper. 
Buinp Ratt. 
Description.—Adult in nuptial phonage: Chin and throat glossy black; top 
of head and neck black with an admixture of brownish in hair-lines and streaks; 
the forehead with many shortened, webless, glossy, black shafts; sides of head 
gray, passing into grayish-brown on sides and front of neck; lower neck and 
breast and sides mostly blackish, heavily tipped in parted hair-lines with fulvous 
and ochraceous; underparts silky grayish-white mottled with underlying dusky, 
and heavily shaded on sides and behind; above clear brownish-black ; secondaries 
varied and mottled with some white; bill short and stout, bluish-white, crossed 
at the nostril by a heavy black band; feet greenish-black. Adult in winter: 
Without black on head; crown dark brown shading on sides of head to whitish 
of throat; neck, fore-breast, and sides strongly tinged with brownish ochraceous ; 
belly dingy white, unmottled; bill without black band. /mmature: Like adult in 
winter, but sides of head with more or less distinct stripes of brown, Length 
12.00-15.00 (304.8-381); wing 5.10 (129.5); bill 80 (20.3); along gape 1.25 
(31.8); depth at nostril .43 (10.9); tarsus 1.55 (30.4). 
Recognition Marks.—T'eal size; bill short and stout, its black band dis- 
tinctive during breeding season, its shape sufficiently so at other times; head 
and neck brownish with dull whitish throat in winter plumage. 
Nesting.—Nest: a floating or half-submerged mound of decayed vegetation 
in open space of swamp water. Eggs: 4-8, dull white or pale greenish buff, 
usually more or less discolored by contact with water-soaked nest. Av. size, 
1.75% 1.20 (44.5% 30.5). Season: c. May 20, East-side; April, West-side 
(Tacoma, April 7, 1906, 7 eggs); one brood. 
General Range.—British Provinces southward to Brazil, Argentine Republic, 
and Chili; the West Indies and Bermuda, breeding locally nearly thruout its range. 
Range in Washington.—Common resident and migrant on lakes and 
ponds thruout the State; occasionally taken on salt water. 
Authorities.—Lawrence, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, p. 899. C&S. Kk. 
B. E. 
Specimens.—(U. of W.) Prov. B. 
WE are all inclined to suspect what we cannot understand, and to 
dislike what persistently circumvents. The Pied-billed Grebe is the Caliban 
of the swamp and his ways are dark and devious. At least so we humans 
judge; but as cold matter of fact the Dab’s only offense is his sleek in- 
nocuousness, which irritates our feelings where it does not work positive 
injury to society. 
