84. WATER BIRDS 
by the more exposed position and looser construction of 
the nests of the American eared grebe, which results in 
their destruction by storm. When this occurs, the home- 
less bird nearly always invades another nest, and usually 
the better made one of his larger neighbor. Frequently, 
this results in a battle to the death for the possession of 
the nest, but never, so far as I have observed, in a vic- 
tory for the smaller bird. 
4. AMERICAN EARED GREBE. — Colymbus nigricollis 
californicus. 
Famity: The Grebes. 
Length: 13.00. 
Adults in Nuptial Plumage: Head, neck, and chest black; sides of 
head behind eyes with tuft-like patches of small buffy brown 
feathers ; under parts silky white, washed with dusky on sides; 
inner quills dusky ; eyes scarlet ; eyelids orange. 
Downy Young: Top of head dusky, with white markings; upper parts 
light brownish gray ; under parts white. 
Geographical Distribution: Western North America from Guatemala to 
Great Slave Lake. East to Mississippi valley. 
Breeding Range: Locally throughout above territory. 
Breeding Season: Approximately, May 15 to August 1. 
Nest: A mass of floating vegetation more or less matted together and 
woven to surrounding rushes; in more open situations than that of 
the western grebe. 
Eggs: 3 to 7; elliptical in shape ; bluish white, more or less soiled by 
dampness of nest. Size 1.75 X 1.19. 
Tuts little Grebe breeds commonly in the inland 
lakes, grassy ponds, and sloughs of California, Wash- 
ington, Oregon, and Lower Canada. Dr. Jeffries tells 
me that it also breeds somewhat sparingly in the slough 
across the isthmus at Santa Catalina Islands, and I 
found several individuals there, in nuptial plumage, in 
