THE LITTLE GREBE. 39 



domiciles of such comparatively small birds,, is somewhat 

 loosely constructed of rushes and leaves of aquatic plants. 

 The number of eggs vary from four to six : they are about 

 one inch seven lines in length, and one inch three lines in 

 breadth ; when first laid they arc pure white in colour, but 

 soon become dirty and stained from the feet of the parent, 

 from the habit the female has of covering them over with 

 vegetable matter when she leaves the nest. By the time 

 the eggs are hatched they have usually become a brown, 

 dull, clay colour. 



The young Grebes take to the water very soon after 

 they are hatched, accompanying their parents in their 

 swimming excursions after food, and rapidly become expert 

 swimmers and divers. They are quaint-looking little 

 fellows, of a dark brown colour on the head, neck, and 

 upper surface, with long streaks of yellowish-brown on 

 the neck and back ; the under part of the body is 

 silvery-white. The peculiarities of the Grebe family are 

 very noticeable in the little bird now under notice. The 

 bill is of moderate length, straight, hard, and pointed ; 

 the legs and toes are not webbed, but are long and consider- 

 ably flattened, and attached so far back on the body as to 

 give the bird when standing almost the appearance of a little 

 Penguin ; the wings are short, and there is no true tail. 

 The plumage of the Little Grebe varies according to the 

 seasons. In summer the iris is reddish-brown ; the head, 

 back of neck, and nearly all the upper portions of the body 

 are very dark brown, almost black ; chin black ; cheeks, sides, 

 and front of neck reddish-brown ; breast and belly greyish- 

 white ; under the wings and the flanks the colour is a dusky 

 brown; the toes and legs are a dark greenish-brown. In 

 winter the head and upper parts of the body are clove- 



