GREBES 



327 



owing to its habit of crossing' them over the tail. Although its wings make it 

 appear much longer, it is really no larger than a song-thrush. 



Crested Grebe. 



Recognisable at a glance by their peculiar carriage and appear- 

 ance, and much persecuted for the sake of their lovely soft and warm 

 plumage, the grebes are specially characterised by their lobate toes and rudimentary 

 tails. They are all birds of the inland waters, though some spend much time on 

 the shore. The crested grebe (Podicipes cristatus) has much the same haunts as 



CRESTED f.PEEE IX H.IGHT. 



the black tern and also appears on the seashore. Its nest is a floating mass of 

 decomposing vegetation moored among reeds, and in it the three or four eggs 

 are frequently covered with moss or leaves to protect them from chill while the 

 brooding-bird is absent. The parents take great care of their young, allowing 

 fchem to rest and sleep on their backs, and diving with them in that position when 

 danger is imminent. The crested grebe has a wide distributional area, extending 

 from the Shetlands to New Zealand, and from Japan to the Cape of Good Hope, 

 but it has not been noticed in America. 



