254 BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



Four out of the five British species of Grebes 

 are more or less regular visitors to Tor Bay. Of 

 these the Red-necked Grebe and the Black-necked 

 or Eared Grebe are by far the rarest, and we 

 should consider them merely as abnormal migrants 

 to the bay, if not to the whole of the south coast 

 of Devonshire. There are, so far as we know, no 

 records of either species in Tor Bay of recent 

 date. On the other hand, the Great Crested 

 Grebe anjd the Sclavonian or Horned Grebe may 

 be regarded as regular winter visitors to this part 

 of the Channel. Of the two, we consider the 

 Great Crested Grebe the more numerous. They 

 generally frequent the bay in small parties of 

 about half-a-dozen individuals, probably a brood 

 and their parents. A favourite part of Tor Bay 

 for this species is on the south side of Roundham 

 Head; and as this promontory runs some distance 

 into the bay, unusually good opportunities of 

 observing these birds may often be had. It is 

 somewhat remarkable how closely these parties' 

 of Grebes will keep to one particular part of the 

 bay. They spend most of the hours of daylight 

 seeking for food, diving at intervals like a Shag, 

 swimming hither and thither, sometimes close up 



