THE GREBES. 219 



present species in. the large lakes in the interior, and I have often reclined on a rock watching several 

 Divers which were svimnring and diving quite unconcernedly within a short pistol-range of me. 

 During the spring I collected in northern Finland many eggs of this Diver, which breeds there 

 not unfreqiiently. Its nest consists merely of a little grass or a few rashes collected in a 

 small depression in the ground close to the water, and is usually placed on a small island or on the 

 shores of an inland lake ; or else, at the Gulf of Bothnia, on the shores of the gulf itself. Whether 

 both sexes incubate I cannot with certainty say, because I never succeeded in surprising one on its 

 nest ; for its mate, which is seldom far off', at once gives the alarm, and the sitting bird takes to the 

 water. If deprived of their eggs, the birds will remain about their despoiled home for some time, 

 uttering loud melancholy cries, as if bewailing their loss." The same author describes the habits of 

 the Black-throated Diver as being very similar to those of the red-throated species ; and Mr. Robert 

 Gray, a well-known Scottish naturalist, says that the natives of Benbecula and North Uist compare 

 the cry of the latter bird to the words " Deoch ! deoch ! deoch ! than loch a traoghadh !" which 

 may be interpreted as " Drink ! drink ! drink ! the lake is nearly dried \ip!" Both the above-named 

 Divers are more beautifully marked in summer than in winter, and at the latter season of the year 

 the Red-throated Diver is completely white underneath, without any appearance of the red throat 

 from which the species takes its name. 



The third family of the Diving Birds embraces the Grebes (Podicipitinoi), which represent 

 the befrn-e-mentioned Divers in fresh water. They are not unlike the Divers in shape, having a long 

 neck and pointed bill, the hind toe being present and lobed, as also are all the other toes. They can 

 scarcely be said to have a tail at all, only a little soft tuft of feathers representing this organ. The 

 beautiful glossy plumage of the Grebes is well known as an article of dress, and ladies' muffs and 

 jacket-trimmings are made out of the bodies of these birds, causing considerable slaughter among them 

 for these articles of trade. Luckily, a Grebe is a bird which thoroughly understands how to take care- 

 of himself, and to capture him two things are necessary first, to get within range of the bird, and 

 secondly, to shoot him when once within distance, so that considerable patience is often required. The 

 best known species in England is the Little Grebe, or Dabchick (Podicejjs minor), which frequents 

 most of the rivers, but more particularly affects fresh- water lakes. Here the bird is thoroughly at 

 home, and its nest may be found by a little careful search. It is one of the most disagreeable nests 

 to remove if required for a museum, and to all appearances most uncomfortable, if one did not 

 remember the thoroughly aquatic habits of its owner. It is built entirely of weeds, stalks of plants, 

 and reeds, and looks exactly like a lump of wet rubbish. Nor does a cursory examination dispel this 

 idea, for many times we have passed by the nest, and seeing no eggs, have at first imagined that it 

 was a disused one of last year, but on feeling xinder the layer of wet weed on the top of the nest the 

 eggs have been discovered, very carefully and artfully concealed. This concealment is said to be the 

 work of the birds themselves on seeing the approach of an intruder ; it has, however, been asserted that, 

 the female having laid the eggs, covers them up with wet rubbish, and leaves the action of the sun 

 to assist in hatching them. It seems to us difficult, in the case of the Little Grebe at least, to provfr 

 the truth of these statements. We have studied the nidification of this species under peculiarly 

 favourable circumstances, and have found more than one nest every season for the last seven or eight 

 years, and, notwithstanding our utmost caution in approaching the nest in the hopes of seeing the 

 bird leave it, we never yet succeeded in surprising the female, but on arriving at the nest we found 

 the eggs always perfectly hidden from sight by a mass of wet weed, which did not always show signs 

 of having been hastily piled on, but in some instances at least appeared to have been flattened down 

 on the top of the eggs. So quick to perceive danger, however, is the Dabchick, that the mere 

 launching of a boat half a mile off is cause for alarm, and the pair of birds would have plenty of time 

 to conceal their eggs before any one could get up iinperceived. The eggs, when first laid, are white, 

 but as incubation proceeds they get more and more discoloured, until at last they become of a dirty 

 yellowish-buff colour. In summer the Dabchicks are much handsomer birds than in winter, for, like 

 all Grebes, they put on a summer plumage, when the neck becomes red and the under-parts black, 

 instead of silvery white. At this time of year they are somewhat more easily obtained, as they trust 

 as much to concealment as to their power of diving ; and if there is a little weed growing above the 

 surface of the lake they often betake themselves to it for shelter, and as their bodies scarcely appeal* above 



