4#6 COLYMBIDJE. 



Our Little Grebe is included in catalogues of the birds 

 of several parts of India ; but, according to M. Temminck, 

 the small species found in Africa and at the Philippine 

 Islands is not identical with the Podiceps minor of Eu- 

 ropean authors ; nor is this species found in North Ame- 

 rica. 



The adult bird in summer, represented in the illustration 

 by the one which is swimming, has the beak black, the tip 

 of a light horn colour, the upper mandible straight, the 

 under mandible brought to a point by a line directed 

 obliquely upwards from the symphysis, or j unction of the 

 two portions ; the soft part of both mandibles, forming the 

 angle at the gape, yellowish-white ; irides reddish-brown ; 

 head, back of the neck, and all the upper surface of the 

 body, very dark brown, almost black ; the secondary 

 quill-feathers white, but these are not seen when the wings 

 are closed ; chin black ; cheeks, sides and front of the 

 upper part of the neck reddish-chestnut ; under surface of 

 the body dull greyish-white ; sides under the wings and 

 the flanks dusky brown ; legs and toes dark greenish- 

 brown. The whole length nine inches and a half. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing four inches and a 

 quarter. In this state of plumage it is the Podiceps hebri- 

 dicus, or Black-chin Grebe of authors, which is now known 

 to be only the summer appearance of Podiceps minor, this 

 Little Grebe. 



Adult birds in winter have the under mandible lighter in 

 colour than the upper ; the latter being dark brown ; head, 

 back of the neck, and all the upper surface of the body, 

 clove-brown ; some of the primary quill-feathers, as well as 

 the secondaries, greyish-white, but only seen when the 

 wing is extended ; chin white ; front of the neck ash 

 brown ; breast and belly shining greyish-white ; sides under 

 the wing and the flanks, ash brown. Young birds of the 



