78 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I ZOOLOGY. 



Mr. Barrows says : " Not uncommon at Concepcion during cool weather, 

 both on the river and on smaller streams. My dates range from March 

 25 to September 26. One, which I shot on June 29, had only long, fine, 

 water-grass in the stomach, not even the smell of fish. A few birds of 

 this species were seen in the salt lakelet of Puan, March 27, 1881. In 

 many places they are much hunted for the skins, which form quite an 

 article of commerce at Buenos Aires." (Barrows, Auk, i. p. 316, 1884.) 



"One particularly bright and cheerful day late in February, as I rode 

 through the woods at a distance of some five miles west of our camp, I 

 came upon a small, nearly circular lake of about one mile and a half in 

 diameter. As I emerged from the forest and sat on my horse by the 

 rocky shore, where I thought to stop for a moment and admire the beauti- 

 ful scene before me, there came floating across the water from the far 

 side of the lake a low plaintive soun'd, which I instantly recognized as 

 that of the grebe, sEchmophorns major. In this sheltered place there 

 was not a sufficient breeze to cause the slightest ripple on the surface of 

 the lake, which for an instant I carefully scanned, hoping to get sight of 

 the flightless bird which I knew must be present, though the locality was 

 remote from its normal habitat. For a few moments, save the low plain- 

 tive cry which was wafted at intervals from the opposite side, I could see 

 nowhere on the surface of the lake the slightest evidence of life. A little 

 later, however, I detected a wide V-shaped ripple on the water, with a 

 small black object at the apex which was directed straight toward me 

 from the opposite shore. For a time I remained motionless and watched 

 the solitary bird as he sat gracefully on the surface of the water, with his 

 long neck erect, and held a perfectly straight course for the beach at my 

 feet, continuing to utter at regular intervals those singularly plaintive 

 notes which seemed almost as though intended to bespeak from me com- 

 miseration for him in the lonely solitude of his surroundings." (Nar. 

 Princ. Univ. Exp. Pat. 1896-1899. Hatcher; Vol. I. p. 137, 1903.) 



Genus PODILYMBUS Lesson. 



Type. 



Podilymbus, Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 595 (1831) ; Ogilvie- 

 Grant, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus. XXVI. p. 553 (1898); 

 Sharpe, Hand-List Bds. I. p. 115 (1899) P. podicipes. 



