BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



and July, he secured both eggs and young-, the latter newly hatched. 

 This species is recorded by Mr. E. A. Samuels as nesting in more north- 

 ern latitudes than New England. The Horned Grebe is an irregular 

 sojourner, in Pennsylvania, from the middle of October until early in 

 April. In the months of March and April this Diver is usually more 

 numerous than at other times during its residence with us. Although 

 generally observed singly or in pairs, and sometimes in parties of four, 

 five or six, I have seen, on three occasions, in the past ten years, flocks 

 numbering from twelve to twenty-five of these birds, during the spring 

 migrations, on the Susquehanna, Lehigh and Delaware rivers. Dr. 

 Walter Van Fleet and Burgess J. H. Ferguson, both of Eenovo, Clinton 

 county (Pa.), recently informed me that in the latter part of March or 

 early in April, 1884, large numbers of Horned Grebes appeared in vari- 

 ous streams and ponds in central Pennsylvania, and remained for two 

 or three days before passing northward. Mr. Ferguson says there were 

 at least two hundred Grebes in the river at Renovo, where many were 

 killed by gunners. In a small pool, less than one rod across, Dr. Van 

 Fleet secured over twenty. Audubon, writing of the food of Horned 

 Grebe, says : " I have observed in the stomachs of almost all that I 

 have examined, a quantity of hair-like substances rolled together like 

 the pellets of owls, but have not ascertained whether or not these masses 

 are disgorged. * * * * The food of this species, while on salt 

 water, is composed of shrimps, small fishes, and minute Crustacea. 

 While on fresh water, they procure insects, leeches, small frogs, tad- 

 poles, and aquatic lizards; they also pick up the seeds of grasses." 

 The stomach-contents of nine of these birds which I have examined con- 

 sisted mainly of sand, remains of fish, beetles and frogs and portions of 

 green-colored aquatic plants. In the stomachs of three specimens I 

 have found, in addition to other food-stuffs, small ball-like masses of 

 feathers. 



I 



GENUS PODILYMBUS LESSON. 

 Podilymbus podiceps (LINN.). 



Pied-billed Grebe; Little Dipper; Little Fish Duck : Hell Diver. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Adult. Bill thick, shorter than head and higher than wide ; bristly frontal feath- 

 ers ; no conspicuous tufts or crests ; broad naked loral space ; bill (dried specimen) 

 bluish white, culrnen dusky and both mandibles crossed with black band, upper 

 parts dark brown, darkest on head and back ; chin and throat with a long showy 

 black patch ; sides of head and neck brownish-gray : primaries brownish-ash ; sec- 

 ondaries grayish and white ; lower part of neck in front and upper part of breast 

 yellowish-brown, more or less spotted or barred with black on upper portion of 

 breast ; sides darker with more or less yellowish brown ; lower part of breast and 

 abdomen satiny-white ; iris brown ; tarsi and feet (dried specimen) brownish. 



Young. Bill (dried specimen) brownish without black band ; chin and throat pure 

 white ; neck in front and on sides rusty mixed with white ; sides of head brownish 



