346 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



long necks to the full extent, besides considerably raising 

 the body. 



If these birds are seen swimming in deep water, but 

 within gunshot of the shore, the gunner should run as 

 fast as possible straight for the birds and as far as the 

 land will allow him, when they rarely take wing, but 

 appear surprised and half stupified. When fired at they 

 dive if not killed, but generally reappear within range for 

 a second or even a third shot. In shallow water, however, 

 they are very difficult to reach, as in such positions they 

 take wing at once on the slightest approach of danger. 



I dissected all the specimens which I obtained, and 

 invariably found that the stomachs contained scarcely 

 any thing but fine sea-grasses ; this species does, however, 

 feed on shrimps, sea-lice, small mollusca, &c. 



The flesh of this bird is not very palatable. 



The iris is reddish yellow ; the under mandible of the 

 bill is vermilion ; the lower edges of the upper mandible 

 are of the same colour but paler ; the ridge of the upper 

 mandible is dull bluish black, tinged with olive; the 

 legs and toes are bluish black on the outer, and yellowish 

 green on the inner side, the latter tint prevailing especi- 

 ally at the joints. 



[The South- African specimens of this Grebe which have 

 come under my notice have all been slightly smaller than 

 European examples ; some details of their comparative measure- 

 ments are given in ' The Ibis ' (loc. cit.) . ED.] 



399. Podiceps nigricollis, Sund. Eared Grebe. 



Podiceps auritusy Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 391. 

 Layard's Cat. No. 692. 



