BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 169 



147. SMEW. Mergus albellus, Linnaeus. French, 

 " Harle piette," "Harle etoile," " Petit harle huppe." 

 The Smew can only be considered an occasional 

 accidental autumnal visitant, and the few that do 

 occur are generally either females, young males, 

 or males still in a state of change. I do not know 

 of t any instance in which a full-plumaged male has 

 occurred in the Channel Islands. 



It is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and 

 marked as occurring in Guernsey only. There are 

 two specimens in the Museum, both females or 

 immature males, or, at all events, males which 

 have not begun to assume their proper plumage 

 after the summer change. 



148. LITTLE GREBE. Podiceps minor, Gmelin. 

 French, " Grebe castagneux." The Little Grebe, 

 or Dabchick, occurs occasionally in the Islands, 

 mostly as an autumnal or winter visitant. I have 

 occasionally seen freshly-killed ones hanging up in 

 the market in November ; I have, however, never 

 seen it alive or shot it in the Islands. Mr. Couch, 

 writing to me in December, 1876, told me that 

 Mr. De Putron had told him that Little Grebes had 

 bred in his pond in the Vale the summer before, 

 and Mr. De Putron afterwards confirmed this ; 

 they can only breed there occasionally, however, 

 as there were certainly none breeding there in 1878, 

 when I was there. 



