P. GRISEIGENA HOLBOELLI : RED-NECKED GREBE. 391 



FAMILY PODICIPEDID^ : GREBES. 

 AMERICAN RED-NECKED GREBE. 



PODICIPES GRISEIGENA HOLBOELLI (Rein/1.) CoUCS. 



Chars. Medium-sized, with moderately long neck ; bill not longer 

 than the head, shorter than the tarsus, moderately stout and 

 acute ; tarsus about four-fifths the middle toe and claw ; crests 

 and ruff moderately developed. Medium : length about 18.00 ; 

 wing, 7.00-8.00; bill, 1.67 to nearly 2.00; tarsus, 2.50; middle 

 toe and claw, 2.67. Adult: front and sides of the neck rich 

 brownish-red; throat and sides of head ashy, whitening where it 

 joins the dark color of the crown ; the feathers slightly ruffed ; 

 top of head with its slight occipital crests, upper parts generally 

 black or blackish, most feathers with pale edges ; primaries 

 brown, but much white on the inner quills ; lower parts pale 

 silvery-ash, with dark sides (not pure white, but watered or 

 obscurely mottled, sometimes obviously speckled, with dusky) ; 

 bill black, more or less yellow at base. The young will be 

 recognized by these last characters, joined with the peculiar 

 dimensions and proportions. 



NOTE. The Crested Grebe, P. cristatus, was almost universally 

 given by New England writers, until challenged by Dr. Brewer, 

 who questioned its right to be regarded as even a bird of North 

 America. Since then, the species appears to have been dropped by 

 common consent. In view of the improbability that everybody has 

 been mistaken in this case, and of the known general distribution of 

 the species, we incline to the opinion that the species will have to 

 be restored, like probably every one of those expunged by the same 

 authority, though at present we lack the data to convert our opinion 

 into certainty. 



The Red-necked Grebe is chiefly a winter bird in New 

 England, though it has occasionally been seen in summer, 



