NESTS AND EOG> 



In most of the States and Territories \v-st of the Mississippi River, this species 



*eds more or less abundantly in suitable localities, and its l>n < -ding range is al- 



ost as extensive as its habitat. It has been found nesting in th< igoons of 



exas, in the fresh water ponds of California, the pools and sloughs of Eastern 



regon. the alkali lakes of Colorado, Kansas, and the Territory of Wyoming, in the 



nlets of the larger bodies of water in the Dakotas and in Minnesota, thence 



>rthwnni to the inland waters of British America. This Grebe, in common with the 



noted for its expertness in diving and swimming, and, IIKC all t nu- 



rd on land. From the posterior position of the legs these birds stand 



most upright, so that they have more the air of a small kangaroo than of a bird. 



s general breeding habits are like others of the family, nesting, however, in 



ituations, in flags and rushes, or upon a floating foundation in shallow 



In the absence of the bird the eggs are covered with debris. The habit of 



ng the eggs among the Grebes is either for the purpose of concealing them 



t>m :-'h as Hawks and (lulls, or that upon the artificial heat, produced 



gelation, they are more or less dependent for the hatching of their 



5gs. When tin. !, the birds are known to remain away from their nests 



uring the entire daytime. The eggs of this species arc four to eight in number, 



nd in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wyoming, they arc deposited in the first part of 



y are elongated in shape, bluish white in color, but soon become soiled 



y the wet material of the nest. The measurement of eight eggs, collected in the 



.Minnesota, on the 7th of June, are as follows: 1.79x1.21, 1 



aid 1.73x1.18. A set of four 



ggs from North Dakota has a decidedly buff ground color instead of the usual bluish 

 'bite. 



5. ST. DOMINGO GREBE, riihnnlmtt /omj;/iV/x Linn. Geog. Dist.- 



n California, southward through Tropical America to Paraguay, includ- 

 ig the West Indies. 



is the smallest of our Grebes. It has a breeding range extending from 



<>f the Rio Grande southward into the tropical regions, nesting in the wild 



erbage of and ponds Oi nd Ci ntial America, in many of the 



and the sloughs of the immense level, tropical plains and 



amp; h America. Its entire life is spent in the water. and it possesses the 



to all the (Jrebes. Dr. .Tames C. Merrill was the first 



D establish the claim of this species as belonging to our North American fauna. II* 

 ound it n | in Southwestern Texas. O: 



ound several nests, ily belonging to tin in a salt mar 



: plants and pieees of [H 



!y fastened to one or two tule stalks, and forming a wet, floating mass. No 

 ggs were obtained."* The eggs are des ale, "balky, greenish win 



*ith U ions. They vary in size from 1.25 to 1.60 long by .85 to 1.00 



PIED-BILLED GREBE. / (Linn.) Geog. 1 



British Provinces southward to Brazil, Huenos Ayres, and Chili, including the West 

 :ndies and ly throughout its range. 



holosy of SoutJi in tin- 



rrill. 

 n U. 8. Army. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 



