204 BED-NECKED GREBE. 



the whole of the last winter. Is there any age 

 when these accessary plumes become permanent ? 



THE RED-NECKED GREBE, PODICEPS RUBRICOL- 

 LIS. Colymbus rubricollis, GmeL Grebe jou-gris, 

 Temm. Red-necked Grebe of British authors. Of 

 the habits of many of the Grebes we know compa- 

 ratively little, as may be at once seen by looking 

 at the descriptions which have been given of them. 

 This bird has never come under our own observation 

 living. It has not been found breeding in Great 

 Britain, and may be considered only as a \vinter 

 visitant. Mr. Yarrell mentions several localities 

 on the southern coasts where it has been killed, as 

 well as in the fenny countries ; and Mr. Selby 

 writes of its tolerably frequent occurrence in North- 

 umberland, and considers that being seldom seen 

 may rather be attributed to its maritime habits than 

 to its real scarcity, for that it is as frequent on the 

 coast as the last, during winter and spring. What- 

 ever may be the cause, it is certainly not so often 

 procured as several of our other species, and we 

 have not many observations on its habits ; the most 

 recent and interesting being those furnished to 

 Mr. Yarrell by Mr. Dann, regarding it in Northern 

 Europe. That gentleman writes that it is common 

 during the breeding season in the reedy lakes at 

 the head of the Bothnian Gulf, and it seems con- 

 fined to the vicinity of the coast of the Baltic. The 



