514 PODICIPEDIDaC PODICIPES 



A young bird is like the adult in non-breeding plumage, but the 

 sides of the head and neck are marked with irregular longitudinal 

 bands of white and brown. 



Distribution. The Cape Dabchick is found throughout Africa, 

 Madagascar, Persia, India, Ceylon and Burma, replacing in these 

 countries the Dabchick of Europe to which it is very nearly related. 



In South Africa the present species is certainly far the most 

 abundant and widely spread of the Grebes and has been noticed, 

 often in considerable numbers throughout its whole extent ; it is 

 a resident. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Cape, 

 Beaufort West, Knysna, September, Port St. Johns, October 

 (S. A. Mus.), Port Elizabeth and East London (Eickard), King 

 William's Town (Trevelyan), Deelfontein in Eichmond division, 

 November (Seimund) ; Basutoland near Mafeteng (Murray) ; 

 Natal Durban Harbour, and St. Lucia Bay in Zululand, June 

 (Woodward), Newcastle district, October, November (Butler) ; 

 Transvaal Pretoria (Bt. Mus.), near Johannesburg (Haagner), 

 Potchefstroom, July, August (Ay res) ; Bechuanaland Lake Ngami 

 (Andersson), Tebra country, March (Eriksson), Tchakani Ylei near 

 Shoshong, May (Oates) ; Ehodesia Tamasancha, December (Oates), 

 near Salisbury, occasionally (Marshall) ; German South-west Africa 

 Kalahari, August, Great Namaqualand, April (Fleck), Otjikoto, 

 Omanbonde, Walvisch Bay and Ondonga breeding (Andersson). 



Habits. This little Grebe is very common wherever there are 

 lagoons or vleis suitable to it; it is also found along streams and 

 rivers where there are quiet pools and reaches. It is an active bird, 

 usually seen in pairs, and is pugnacious, chasing its companions 

 about and very frequently diving ; its food consists chiefly of water- 

 insects, and Ayres particularly states that he found no fish remains 

 in the stomachs of individuals examined by him. On land, like 

 other Grebes, the Dabchick is exceedingly awkward, lying on its 

 belly like a seal and shuffling along with the help of its feet and 

 wings. 



Andersson states that he found this little Grebe breeding at 

 Ondonga in very large numbers. The nest was a mass of weeds 

 and grasses lying on the water ; the eggs were from four to six in 

 number, and dirty white in colour ; they were always found covered 

 over, often several inches deep, and this was no doubt done before 

 the parent left the nest. The allied species in Europe carries its 

 young when hatched on its back, and probably this is also the case 

 with the present species. 



