CRESTED GREBE. 203 



The nest, placed among reeds or aquatic herbage, 

 is formed of decayed plants, and is sometimes of con- 

 siderable bulk. The old birds at this time are very 

 wary, the female sliding almost imperceptibly from 

 the nest, dives, and rises at a distance, leaving her 

 track without a possibility of being discovered. 



In a specimen from Norfolk the forehead and 

 crown are greyish brown, and on each side of the 

 latter the feathers become elongated and form two 

 lengthened tufts, the colours gradually shading into 

 deep greyish black; from the base of these tufts, 

 around the auriculars and throat, springs an ample 

 ruff, which can be displayed at pleasure ; the chin 

 and below the eyes shading into orange-brown, 

 which deepens in shade towards the terminal end 

 of the ruff, where it becomes lustrous greyish black ; 

 the occiput and neck succeeding the ruff are chest- 

 nut-red and brownish black intermixed; the back 

 of the neck, upper parts, and wings, are blackish 

 brown, darker on the back, and there with slight 

 greenish reflections ; secondaries white ; the back of 

 the neck tinted w r ith grey ; the fore part of the 

 neck below the ruff, breast, belly, and vent, silvery 

 white ; sides of the breast and flafnks dashed with 

 brown and chestnut. The young birds want the 

 ruff and the deeper rufous tints in the plumage, a^d 

 it has generally been considered that these were the 

 distinctions of the nuptial dress, but Mr. Yarrell 

 states that a specimen kept in St. James* Park by 

 the Ornithological Society has retained its ruff for 



