LITTLE GKEBE, 263 



appear remarkable, and I know of several having been 

 found dead in their breeding plumage without any 

 apparent cause. On the 10th of April, 1884^ Mr. F. 

 Norgate had one brought to him which was thus found 

 dead in the Little Ouse, near Brandon ; and on the 16th 

 April, 1885, I found one under similar circumstances on 

 Surlingham Broad. 



In addition to small fish the food of the little grebe 

 consists of larvae, water-beetles, tadpoles, and small 

 aquatic snails. 



I have mentioned the disinclination shown by the 

 little grebe to seek safety in flight,* but no bird, perhaps 

 not even excepting the great northern diver, is a more 

 expert diver, or more skilful in effecting concealment 

 when alarmed, availing itself of the slightest cover, and 

 remaining submerged for a length of time which is quite 

 surprising. Probably the head is not completely under 

 water, but as before mentioned (p. 262), in a small, ex- 

 posed pond several pairs of these birds remained so com- 

 pletely concealed that I was quite unable to discover how 

 and where they hid. As to their mode of progression 

 under water, Mr. F. Norgate has favoured me with the 

 following notes : " February llth, 1878, I saw in the 

 river Wensum, at Sparham, two little grebes diving 

 without using their wings. This seems to be their usual 

 way of diving when scared, but I believe they can and do 

 use their wings under water, passing through it and the 

 air as if the two elements were one and the same to 

 them;" and again, on the 26th February, 1880, he writes, 

 "At Sparham I saw a little grebe which suddenly appeared 

 on the wing from under water, near the middle of the river 

 Wensum, and flew a few yards and dived as suddenly, 

 just as if it had continued its flight from underwater, 

 through the air, into and under the water again ; it did 

 not re-appear." Mr. Norgate does not tell us in what 

 way and to what extent the feet or wings were used in 

 this instance in the progress through the water. On 

 the 19th March, 1834, Salmon writes as follows : 

 " Saw a pair of little grebes (P. minor) swimming at the 



* See also on this subject remarks by Lord Lilford and Mr. 

 Cordeaux, " Zoologist," 1883, pp. 466 and 503. 



