in PODICIPEDIDAE 53 



P. tricolor of the Moluccas separable, P. pelzelni of Madagascar 

 being hardly so. P. dominions, extending from the southern 

 United States to Patagonia, differs in its black throat. The 

 Little Grebe breeds commonly in Britain, while P. cristatus, the 

 Great Crested Grebe or Loon, only nests on our largest waters, 

 covering, however, a wide range in Europe, Africa, Asia, Aus- 

 tralia, and New Zealand. It has a bifurcate crest of brown, a 

 chestnut ruff tipped with black round the cheeks and throat, a 

 red base to the bill and greenish feet. P. griseigena, the Ked- 

 necked Grebe, which wanders to our shores, but breeds in the 

 north of the Palaearctic and Nearctic Regions, and perhaps occa- 

 sionally in Morocco, has the foreneck chestnut, a line above the 

 cheeks white, and the base of the bill yellow. Some writers 

 denominate the North American and East Asiatic form, P. hoi- 

 boelli. P. auritus, the Slavonian Grebe of the sub- Arctic portions 

 of both worlds, has a tuft of golden chestnut feathers on each 

 side of the head, an ample black ruff, rufous chest and flanks, 

 black bill and greenish feet ; P. nigricollis, the Eared Grebe, of 

 Central and Southern Europe, Africa, temperate Asia, and 

 western North America, has merely golden ear -tufts, with a 

 black chest. Both visit us at certain seasons. Finally, P. 

 nestor inhabits South Australia ; P. rufipectus New Zealand ; 

 P. caliparaeus, P. rollandi, and Aechmophorus major America 

 south of Peru and Brazil ; Ae. occidentalis western North 

 America ; Podilymbus podiceps nearly all the New World ; and 

 Centropelma micropterum Lake Titicaca only. The first two have 

 white hair-like filaments on the head, the third and fourth elon- 

 gated ear-coverts of golden brown or black and white ; while Po- 

 dilymbus is remarkable for its stout whitish bill with median black 

 band and its black throat, Centropelma for its aborted wings and 

 flightless condition. Podicipes taczanowskii, of Lake Junin in Peru, 

 differs from P. caliparaeus in its longer and lighter bill and feet, 

 and grey-brown ear-coverts. Grebes in the down are streaked 

 with white or buff on a dusky ground, while some have a naked 

 red space on the crown. 



These migratory birds frequent reedy streams and stagnant 

 waters in summer, being companionable, though not gregarious ; 

 hard weather, however, drives them to the sea. They walk 

 fairly well, though awkwardly, and sit upon the whole meta- 

 tarsus; but the chicks progress on "all fours/ 3 using the wings almost 



