BLACK-NECKED OR EARED GEEBE. 253 



ee In 1861 a pair assuming summer plumage were 

 shot at Kimberley, on the 30th of March, and on the 

 24th of April of the same year a perfect example at 

 Martham, and one in change on Hickling Broad. The 

 following summer of 1862 was, however, even more 

 remarkable for the examples obtained in full summer 

 plumage. Two pairs were killed on Horsey Mere, about 

 the 9th of May * and of these birds Mr. F. Harmer, of 

 Yarmouth, who had heard the particulars from a friend 

 who was present when they were killed, says (' Field,' May 

 31st), f Two were shot at the first discharge, one soon 

 afterwards, the fourth four days later. When first shot 

 at they were diving amongst a small patch of weeds and 

 water lilies, not far from the shore ; the fourth bird was 

 shot quite out in the open water, at the end of the mere. 

 The man who shot them said he could get as near them 

 as he wished, in fact, quite close to them.' A fifth 

 specimen, an adult male, equally rich in plumage, 

 was obtained near Yarmouth (I believe on Eollesby 

 Broad), on the 28th, and this bird, which was sent to 

 Norwich to be stuffed, I saw in the flesh, and had the 

 chance of comparing as to the contents and character of 

 its stomach with that of the Sclavonian grebe. Besides 

 being far less stout and muscular, I found the stomach 

 of this species differ greatly in the smoothness of its 

 interior surface, the almost file-like roughness observable 

 in that portion of the Sclavonian grebe being entirely 

 wanting. The same peculiar habit of swallowing feathers 



* Two of these birds were in Mr. Rising's collection, and the 

 following note in his copy of" Yarrell " probably gives the correct 

 date on which they were killed : " Eared grebe. Three shot on 

 Horsey Mere on 6th May, 1862, and a fourth the next day, two of 

 which were stuffed and cased." They were purchased at his sale 

 by Mr. George Hunt. Mr. Rising also sent Mr. Gould some fuller 

 particulars, which will be found in the " Birds of Great Britain," 

 vol. v. He says, "These birds, two males and two females, 

 had been seen continually on the mere through the winter, and up 

 to the time they were shot, and would most likely have been killed 

 long before, had they not been luckily mistaken for dabchicks. 

 . . . I can scarcely resist the conviction that they had already 

 nested there, as the water had become so entirely their habitat 

 during all this time," T.S, 



