THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 49 



sport when hunted in a boat ; it might well be 

 protected as a sporting and fur-bearing animal. 

 The skins of the Flightless Grebe are used for saddle- 

 cloths. In the interest of their habits the Grebes 

 yield to no birds whatever. 



CAPTIVITY. Grebes are seldom kept confined, but will 

 live if their food be varied and they are allowed 

 constant access to water. If kept out of it for 

 even a day, their plumage lets in the wet like a 

 land-bird's. They need a good-sized swimming 

 place and only a small landing. They have never 

 bred in captivity, or even laid, so far as I know. 



DISTRIBUTION AND IMPORTANT SPECIES. The family, 

 containing about two dozen species, is of world- 

 wide range, the northern species migrating south 

 in winter in search of open water. They are 

 usually fresh-water birds, but in winter may be 

 found on the coasts. The Dabchicks, as the 

 small species are called, are the best known, 

 and one or another is found everywhere. Our Great 

 Crested Grebe (Podicipes cristatus) is distributed 

 almost all over the Old World, and the Pied-billed 

 Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), about the size of 

 a partridge, with short, thick bill, is equally wide- 

 spread in the New. In America, Grebes are often 

 called Hell-divers. 



GUACHARO (Steatornithidcz}. 



DIAGNOSIS. A long-winged bird, with hawk-like bill 

 and excessively short, scaleless shanks. 



SIZE. About that of a crow. 



FORM. Bill very hawk-like, hooked and toothed at 

 edge near tip, corner of mouth below eye ; nume- 

 rous bristles at base of beak ; feet with very short 

 shanks without scales, and three front toes, all 



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