THE LITTLE GREBE. 2 s 



inch wide ; they are of the usual Grebe type, but are possibly of a more creamy 

 tint and less strongly tinged with green on the under shell ; the chalky outer 

 crust is often very evenly spread over the surface, which is then quite smooth. 

 The Little Grebe covers its eggs, and concerning the reason why it does 

 so, the observations by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe may be read with the greatest 

 advantage ("Handbook to the Birds of Great Britain"). 



The adult male in summer has the bill blackish, the tip pale, and the 

 base of the under mandible and the gape bright yellowish- green. Iris reddish 

 brown. Bare space between eye and bill dusky. Chin, foremost part of the 

 face, forehead, crown, and hind neck, nearly black, tinged with brown, upper 

 parts generally blackish brown, glossed slightly with olivaceous green. Primaries 

 greyish brown. Secondaries the same, with the inner webs chiefly, and the outer 

 webs partly, to a varying extent, white ; the amount of white on the secondaries 

 appears to vary. Younger birds have less white. Cheeks, sides of head behind 

 and below eye, throat, and front and sides of neck, reddish chestnut. Lower 

 neck, breast, and flanks, blackish brown, with some rufous about the flanks ; rest 

 of under parts silvery grey, more or less tinged and mottled with blackish grey, 

 or blackish brown. Legs and toes dusky with a green tinge. The female is 

 rather smaller, and less richly coloured. 



In winter the culmen of the bill is brownish horn- colour, the rest paler 

 and yellower. The upper parts generally are hair brown (with darker centres to 

 the feathers), except the wings which are darker and duller. The throat and 

 chin are white, and the forepart and sides of the neck pale dull brown, sides 

 of head and face warmer and darker, and remains of the chestnut may be some- 

 times seen at the end of November. Under parts silvery white, breast tinged with 

 drab, sides of body and flanks dusky brown, mixed with light rufous ; lowest 

 part of body dusky. Length about 9^5 inches. Wing 3^9 inches. 



Young birds in their first autumn have the bill paler and yellower, and the 

 upper parts of the plumage rather a paler brown than the adults ; wings darker 

 than the back. Sides and fore part of the neck, and the breast, as well as the 

 sides of the body and the flanks, pale buffy-brown, becoming more dusky on the 

 latter ; the white of the belly is tinged with the same colour ; lowest part of the 

 body dusky ; early in the season there are usually some broken remains of dark 

 markings on the sides of the upper part of the neck. 



The young in down have the " head, neck, and upper parts, black, distinctly 

 striped with rufous or rufous buff; uuderparts white; the flanks like the back; 

 forehead tinged with silvery grey ; bill flesh-coloured ; iris grey ; legs dull flesh- 

 colour with a greyish tinge" (Dresser's "Birds of Europe"). 



