150 BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTS. 
not varying much in shade from those last deseribed, and are 23 
inches in length, by nearly 12 in’ breadth. 
I1.—_COLYMBIDZ. 
271. GREAT CRESTED GREBE.—(Podiceps cristatus). 
Cargoose, Loon, Greater Loon, Tippet Grebe.-—We have come 
now to the Divers properly so called, and the family of Grebes 
to be noticed first are to be looked upon as principally, but not 
exclusively, frequenting the fresh water. The bird now under 
notice remains almost all the year on the large sheets of water 
which it inhabits in Wales, Shropshire, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. 
Like the rest of the Grebes, it is little able to walk and not much 
disposed to fly, but possessing marvellous capacity and power of 
diving. Its nest is made of a large heap of half rotten water- 
weeds, but little raised above the surface of the water, and 
always soaked with wet. On this likely-seeming place for duly 
addling every egg deposited, three, four or five eggs are laid, 
which are almost white when newly dropped, but soon become so 
stained from constant contact with wet and decaying vegetable 
substances as to be any colour rather than white. They are 
about 22 inches long, by 13 broad. The eggs, im the absence of 
the parent bird, are usually found covered with portions of some 
water vegetable ; and the owner, on being disturbed on her nest, 
always dives away fromit.' The first lessons of the young Loon 
in diving are taken beneath the literal “ shelter of their mother’s 
wing.” 
972. RED-CRESTED GREBE.—(Podiceps rubricollis), 
Not so common as the Grebe last named, and more frequently 
met with on salt water, though not usually far from some estuary 
or inland arm of the sea. It is not known to have bred in this 
country. 
