630 THE HORNED GREBE. 
No. 315. 
HORNED GREBE. 
A. O. U. No. 3. Colymbus auritus Linn. 
Description.—Adult in nuptial plumage: Forehead and crown, with throat 
and sides of head around on nape, sooty black, deepening and becoming glossy 
posteriorly ; area included by these patches (lores and sides of crown) buffy och- 
raceous, changing to rufous on lores and the short dense occipital crest; neck in 
front and on sides and fore-breast rich cinnamon-rufous, shading on breast into 
the satiny white of belly; sides (well up under wing), and flank patches tinged 
with rufous and overlaid with some dusky; upper parts grayish black, becoming 
grayish brown on wings and varied by some edging of lighter grayish brown; 
primaries clear light brown; secondaries mostly white, forming a quasi speculum ; 
bill black with yellow on lower mandible and tip; feet dusky externally, in- 
ternally mostly yellow. Adult in winter and immature: No rufous anywhere; 
above uniform grayish black; below, including sides of head, pure white, some- 
times tinged on neck and fore-breast with ashy brown; sparingly dusky-shaded 
on sides; bill with less black. Length 12.50-15.00 (317.5-381.); av. of six O. S. 
U. specimens: wing 5.37 (136.4) ; bill .93 (23.6), depth at base .32 (8.1) ; tarsus 
1.82 (46.2). 
Recognition Marks.—Teal size; breeding plumage with black and red on 
head (especially red lores) distinctive for size; slender bill; the pure white of 
throat and sides of head contrasting with blackish above affords the best field mark 
in winter. 
Nest, of half-submerged or floating vegetation, usually anchored to reeds 
growing in swamp water. Eggs, 2-7, elongated oval, pale bluish white, but 
usually more or less discolored by nest. Av. size, 1.75 x 1.18 (44.5 X 30.) 
General Range.—Northern hemisphere ; breeds from northern United States 
northward. 
Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. Of casual occurrence in winter, ac- 
cording to openness of season, in central and southern Ohio. 
IT is the sixth day of October. Six dainty Grebes are dancing before 
me on the gently ruffled surface of the water-works pond. I am within thirty 
feet of them and in plain sight, altho my line of approach was concealed by the 
sloping parapet. ‘The one desire of the visitors seems to be to sleep. They 
probably dropped down just before sunrise to rest after the long night passage 
from the Georgian Bay. In sleeping they draw the head back and settle it 
between the shoulders, thrusting the bill down precisely to the right. Now 
and then one lifts its head and describes a wary circle of reconnaisance, but is 
soon reassured and resumes its slumbers. While taking these cat naps in my 
presence they swim and whirl automatically and maintain their general position, 
as tho gifted with a double consciousness. There are five males in company with 
one female, and the white of their breasts and throats glistens purely in the 
