THE LITTLE GREBE. Ill 



Order XVII. PYGOPODES. 



Family PODICIPID^. 

 Genus TACHYBAPTES, Reich. 



780. TACHYBAPTES FLUVIATILIS. 



THE LITTLE GREBE. 



Colymbus fluviatilis, Tunxt. Orn. Brit. p. 3. Colymbus minor, Gm. &yst. Nat. 

 i. p. 591. Colymbus philippensis, Bonn. Tall Encyd. et Mcth. Orn. i. p. 58, 

 pi. 46. fig. 3. Podiceps philippensis, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 822 ; Bl. B. Burm. 

 p. 166; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 512; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 702. 

 Podiceps minor, Hume, S. F. i. p. 268 ; id. Nests and Eggs, p. 646 ; Hume 

 and Henders. Lali. to Yark. p. 298; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 193; Scully, S. F. iv. 

 p. 203 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 490; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 313 ; Hume, S. F. 

 viii. p. 115; Gates, S. F. viii. p. 168; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 364; Gates, S. F. x. 

 p 245. Tachybaptes fluviatilis, List Brit. Birds, Brit. Orn. Union, 

 p. 204. 



Description. Summer plumage. Crown, nape, hind neck, chin and lores 

 blackish brown ; sides of the head and entire throat and sides of the neck 

 rich chestnut-red; upper parts generally blackish with a grey tinge; 

 primary-quills dark grey ; short secondaries white, margined externally 

 with dark grey ; breast and flanks blackish grey ; rest of the underparts 

 silvery grey tinged with dark grey. (Dresser.) 



In winter the chestnut-red on the head, throat and neck disappears ; the 

 chin and throat are whitish, and the sides of the head and the lower throat 

 arc tinged with buff; and the underparts become whiter. 



Bill black, the gape greenish yellow ; iris reddish brown ; legs and 

 feet blackish, tinged with green and paler on the inside of the tarsus. 



Length about 9 inches, no tail, wing 4, tarsus 1'3, bill from gape ]!. 

 The female is slightly larger. 



The Little Grebe is probably distributed over the whole of Burmah. I 

 procured it at Thayetmyo, Prome and at numerous points in Southern 

 Pegu. Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay got it at Tonghoo. Mr. Davison did not 

 observe it in Tenasserim ; but this was obviously due to accident, for 

 Mr. Davis obtained it at Thatone, where it was apparently very abundant. 

 Mr. Blyth records it from Arrakan. 



It inhabits the whole of Europe, Africa and Asia, ranging down to 

 Australia and New Zealand ; but it is possible that T. nova-hollandia 

 may prove to be a distinct species, notwithstanding that Prof. Schlegel and 



