TIPPET GREBE. 213 



sides of the tarsus are similarly regularly scutellate in double rows, the posterior 

 edge being scutellated, the scutes projecting so as to form a serrated ridge. The 

 feet are placed very far back in the body. 



There is a full double crest in the breeding-season ; general coloration above 

 brown, below white. 



147. Podiceps cristatus. TIPPET GREBE. 



[Colymbus cristatus Linn6, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 135, Jan. 1st, 1758: Sweden, Europe. 



Extra-limital.] 



Gould, Vol. VII., pi. 80 (pt. xvii.), Dec. 1st, 1844. Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 5, pi. 64, Oct. 31st, 



1911. 



Podiceps cristatus christiani Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. I., pt. 5, p. 267, pi. 64, Oct. 31st, 



1911 : Victoria. 



DISTRIBUTION. Australia generally and Tasmania. 



Adult male in breeding -plumage. Upper-surface brown, including the head 

 (which has a double crest), hind-neck, mantle, scapulars, and upper back ; lower 

 back somewhat darker and inclining to dusky-brown ; marginal wing-coverts white, 

 median and greater coverts brown like the bastard-wing and primary -coverts ; 

 primary -quills similar in colour, paler on the inner webs and white at the base ; 

 secondaries white, the inner ones brown on the outer webs and tips, the innermost 

 like the back ; numerals white, outer ones slightly margined with brown ; lores 

 whitish ; the ruff on the upper neck and throat chestnut, tipped with black ; middle 

 of throat, sides of the face, fore-neck, breast, abdomen, axillaries, and under wing- 

 coverts pearly-white ; sides of body brown ; bill dark horn colour ; iris red ; 

 upper-surface of the tarsi and toes dark olive-green, under-surface pale yellow. 

 Total length 520 mm. ; culmen 53, wing 180, tarsus 59. 



Female (adult). Similar to the bird described above. 



The winter -plumage seems to be the same. 



Immature. Similar to the adult but lacking the crest and paler ; the head 

 pale greyish-black, the feathers of the fore-head and superciliary stripe with white 

 tips ; the feathers of the neck with a chestnut wash, the throat is white, the chestnut 

 coloration of the adult missing and the flanks scarcely brown tinged. 



Nestling in down. Head and all upper-surface pale buff, longitudinally striped 

 with black, the stripes down the middle of the back broadest ; the under-surface 

 yellowish-white ; the fore-head is whitish with the top of the head white, a black 

 bar across the centre ; three stripes can be counted on each side of the neck and 

 there is a blotch at the gape, the winglet is black striped ; the bill is yellowish, 

 white at the tips and crossed by two black bars ; legs and feet olive. 



Immature, just losing down. Is pale grey above striped with black similarly 

 to the nestling. As it grows it loses the striping, retaining it longest on the head 

 and neck. 



Nest. Constructed of rushes, weeds, etc. Placed low in the water, and always 

 damp. Dimensions outside 18 to 20 in. by 12 to 18 deep ; egg cavity 6 in. by 3 

 deep. 



Eggs. Clutch, five ; ground-colour pale green, coated over with a thin layer of 

 lime, which soon becomes nest-stained (brown) ; axis 50 to 52 mm., diameter 

 34-36. 



Breeding -season. November to December. 



Distribution and forms. Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 

 In 1911 Mathews suggested the recognition of five forms, as follows : P. c. cristatus 

 (Linne) for European birds ; P. c. infuscatus Salvador! for African birds, which are 

 probably separable into two races, a North African and a South African one ; the 

 difference in the superciliary stripe had been before indicated and has since been 



