94 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



specimen taken at Niagara Falls, September 20, 1903 [see Blaine, Auk, 

 21 : 276]. Niunerous records from all parts of the State occur from October 

 20 to April 2 1 . The latest in my notebook is of a specimen seen off Charlotte 

 on Lake Ontario, May 30, 1904. 



Haunts and habits. The Holboell grebe is even more a bird of the open 

 water than the Homed grebe and is rarely seen in the shallows and weedy 

 sloughs. It swims and dives with great power when pursued and rises from 

 the surface of the water with the same flopping of its feet as the other 

 grebes, but more often makes a long flight when once under way. Late 

 in the spring it may be seen on our waters in its breeding plumage, and is 

 then a bird of striking appearance [see pi. i]. 



Coljmibus auritus Linnaeus 

 Horned Grebe 



Plate I 



Colvmbus auritus Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. 1:135 

 Podiceps cornutus DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 274, fig. 305 

 Colvmbus auritus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 3 



Description. Breeding plumage: Crests and ruff conspicuous. Crown, 

 chin and ruff glossy greenish black ; lores chestnut ; crests and stripe over eyes 

 huffy, or brownish yellow; upper parts blackish; secondaries white; neck, 

 except the black stripe along the back line, upper breast and sides chestnut 

 red; lower breast and belly shining white; bill black, with yellow tip; iris 

 carmine, with inner white ring of beading; feet dusky yellowish on the inside. 

 Winter and immature: Crests and ruff consist of only slightly lengthened 

 feathers; upper parts grayish black, darkest on the crown and back of the 

 neck ; sides of the head and under parts silky white, washed on the foreneck, 

 sides and lower belly with ashy gray. 



Length 13. 5-15 inches; extent 23-25.5; wing 5.6; culmen .9; hight of 

 bill at nostril .3; tarsus 1.75; middle toe and claw 2.1. 



Field marks. The Horned grebe may be distinguished at once from 



the Holboell grebe by its smaller size, and, in the summer dress, from both 



our other grebes by its conspicuous buff y crests. In winter dress its shining 



white cheeks and slim pointed bill are good marks; and when flying also 



the large square patch in each wing formed by the white secondaries. 



