178 THE HORNED GREBE. 



white, the curved secondaries white; the black head and 

 ruffs with a yellowish-brown tuft or horn extending from 

 the eye to the back of the head, the continuation of the 

 same in front of the eye chestnut; the neck, except a black 

 strip down the back, chestnut or brownish-red; sides and 

 flanks brown and white mixed. The female is similar, with 

 the ruff much reduced, and the colors less pure and bright. 



Concerning the breeding of this species, Dr. Coues says: 

 " I found it breeding at various points in Northern Dakota, 

 as along the Red River, in the prairie sloughs, with Coots, 

 Phalaropes and various Ducks, and in pools about the base 

 of Turtle Mountain, in company with P. calif ornicus and the 

 Dabchick. I took fresh eggs on the 20th of June at Pem- 

 bina, finding them scattered on a soaking bed of decayed 

 reeds, as they had doubtless been disturbed by the hasty 

 movements of the parents in quitting the nest; there were 

 only four; probably more would have been laid. They are 

 elliptical in shape, with little or no difference in contour at 

 either end; dull whitish, with a very faint shade, quite 

 smooth, and measure about 1.70 x 1-20. On Turtle Moun- 

 tain, late in July, I procured newly-hatched young, swim- 

 ming with their parents in the various pools. At this early 

 stage the neck is striped, as in the common Dabchick." 



The autumnal dress of this Grebe is so different from that 

 above described of the spring, that one not aware of the 

 identity of the bird in its changed habit would suppose it to 

 be another species. The ruff is barely indicated by a slight 

 lengthening of the feathers about the head, while the back 

 and under parts are nearly as in spring; the crown, back 

 part of the neck, and the sides are a sooty gray; the chin, 

 throat and sides of the head, white; forepart of the neck, 

 light ashy-gray. Thus clad, they appear in Western New 

 York in October, sometimes singly or in small numbers, on 



