THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 187 



brown, glossed with dark green, the feathers of the crown elongated into a flat 

 crest, longest at the sides and so somewhat forked. Hind neck greyish-brown ; 

 back and upper parts generally, brown, some of the feathers varied with greyer 

 shades and pale margins ; lower back and rump a paler uniform brown ; primaries 

 brown, or greyish-brown, with dark shafts and a little white near the base of the 

 inner webs ; the inner ones tipped with white, but not in all cases. Secondaries 

 white except the outermost, which has the outer web, except the tip, brown ; in 

 some cases the two outermost secondaries are brown, tipped with white, and the 

 next one mottled brown and white. The older birds probably have most white 

 on the wing. Innermost wing feathers and axillary plume white, some of the 

 former marked with brown. Carpal ridge conspicuously white. Lores (between 

 the nostril and eye) buffy-white, continued in a narrow line over the eye to join 

 the white on the sides of the face. Between the angle of the mouth and the eye 

 (but to the rear of the bare skin) a small patch of dark feathers. Chin and upper 

 part of the throat white. From the hinder part of each side of the head springs 

 a ruff or frill of elongated feathers, which is only just interrupted on the throat ; 

 the fore part of this ruff is light bright chestnut, the colour merging into the 

 white of the face, the hinder part the same colour as the crest. Forepart of the 

 neck white, passing up in a point to the throat, and edged as far as the base of 

 the ruff, and terminated with light chestnut. Breast and belly shining white. 

 Sides of the breast, and sometimes the lower part of the neck, very slightly 

 and indistinctly mottled with and tinged light chestnut. Sides of the body 

 and flanks light chestnut and dusky mixed. Lowest part of the body slightly 

 dusky. Bill pinkish, culmen brown. Iris crimson (a white ring round the pupil 

 in some cases). Bare space from the bill to the eye reddish (dusky in winter). 

 Tarsi and feet blackish-green on the outside, lighter and yellower on the 

 inside. Length 22 inches ; wing 7*5 inches. The female is rather smaller. In a 

 pair killed in June, the female had a greater proportion of dark colour in the 

 ruff. 



A male in winter dress, killed in February, has the upper parts brown, the 

 feathers of the mantle broadly edged with greyish-brown ; and it may generally be 

 remarked that the brown of the upper parts has a greyer tinge at this season. 

 Top of the head and (smaller) crest dark brown appearing blackish in the distance. 

 Sides of the face and head, where the ruff is in summer, dull white, tinged with 

 dusky brown, the feathers still slightly elongated. Sides of body and flanks 

 mottled with dusky and showing no trace of rufous colouring. 



Young birds of the year carry remains of the dark lines on the sides of the 

 neck during the winter. The young in down have the head, neck, breast and 



