440 Cahn, The Freezing of Cayuga Lake. [oct. 



lake,' one or two being recorded almost every winter. It has proved, 

 however, to be the predominant grebe during this winter, twenty-eight 

 individuals having been taken. The reason of its unprecedented abun- 

 dance here is undoubtedly to be found in the six weeks of extremely cold 

 weather, and the consequent closure of waters in other regions. The 

 sudden closing of the lake's surface in one night left these birds in an 

 absolutely helpless condition, since open water is a necessity for taking 

 "flight in this group of birds, Holbcell's Grebe being no exception to the rule. 

 As a result, eleven beautiful specimens were picked up alive from the ice 

 in perfectly good physical condition. If approached while sitting on the 

 ice, these birds made no attempt to escape. They would strike at the 

 outstretched hand, and would emit calls very loon-hke in general quahty. 

 Once the bird ahghts upon the ice, it is unable to take flight, and must 

 await starvation or other tragic end. At best, all it can do is to flap its 

 wings and possibly scrape along over the ice for a few feet. The position 

 of the legs, together with the smooth surface of the ice, rendered these 

 efforts at locomotion entirely futile. The best opportunity of observing 

 this bird occurred in a little piece of open water in Fall Creek, below Ithaca 

 Falls. This hole was about twenty-five feet square, shallow at one end 

 and deep at the other, surroimded on three sides by thin ice, and on the 

 fourth by ice sufficiently strong to afford good footing. The bird had 

 apparently aUghted in the pool, and even here there was insufficient open 

 water for taking flight again, and it was therefore possible to study the 

 actions of this bird at very close range. When approached, the bird dove, 

 and remained under water nearly a minute. As soon as it came up, it 

 would dive again on the instant so long as the observer remained near. 

 The water was clear, and the bird could be seen plainly, shooting and 

 zigzagging about, midway between the surface and the bottom. While 

 swimming under water, the neck is extended to its utmost, and both legs 

 and wings are used. With neck outstretched, the bird offers the least 

 possible resistance to the water, there being a smooth and gradual transi- 

 tion from the tip of the slender bill to the middle of the back, the widest 

 part of the body. The speed which is developed under water is marvelous, 

 at times it being almost impossible to follow its movements, which were so 

 rapid that the bird appeared more like a large, gray fish darting about. 

 When coming to the surface, the bill and head appeared slowly, when a 

 ghmpse of the observer caused it to dive again. In diving, even though 

 the body was under water, the bill went down first, so that it really dove 

 instead of sinking quietly. After having been under water almost con- 

 tinually for over fifteen minutes, the bird was tired out, and finally came 

 to the surface on the opposite side of the pond from the observer. Here, 

 it drifted nervously about, giving its peculiar squawking note every few 

 seconds. After being watched for some time, it was driven into the 



I Reed & Wright. The Vertebrate Fauna of the Cayuga Lake Basin, N. Y.. 

 p. 409. 



