168 CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



the United States, viz.: The Western grebe (sEchmophorus occi- 

 dentalis) ; Holbcell's grebe (Colynibns holboellii) ; the Horned grebe 

 (C. auritus) ; American eared grebe (C. nigricollis calif ornicus) ; 

 the St. Domingo grebe (C. dominions), and the Pied-billed grebe 

 (Podttymbus podiceps). Other forms of these birds are found in 

 many parts of the world, and at least five distinct species occur in 

 Great Britain. Many of the habits of these birds are character- 

 istic of all the members of the group, and are .well exemplified in 

 the Horned grebe, of which I present a figure, and which will be 

 the species chosen for the purposes of description. In suitable lo- 

 calities, this grebe is found to inhabit the entire northern hemi- 

 sphere, and in this country breeds from northern United States 

 northward. During the breeding season, the head of one of these 

 birds is ornamented with a very handsome full tuft of feathers, 

 of a rich black, with glossy greenish reflections. This is set off by 

 the remainder of the crest being of a deep chestnut, and with a 

 yellowish stripe over each eye. As in all grebes, the lower parts 

 are of a glistening white, the plumage being very dense, while its 

 upper parts are for the most part of a brownish black. The wings 

 are of a chocolate brown, with the secondary feathers white. 

 Its irides are of a bright carmine, and the bill black, tipped with 

 yellow. Its neck and sides are of a purplish tint, which becomes 

 mixed with dusky on the flanks. In its winter plumage the bird 

 becomes far less conspicuous by the nearly complete absence of 

 the head ornament, and much of the general coloration becom- 

 ing plain black and white, as shown in the figure. Fledglings 

 have their heads curiously striped with white, gray, and rufous, 

 and are expert divers from the very first, as is the case with all 

 grebes. This bird has a length of about fourteen inches, and an 

 extent of two feet, it being of medium size as compared with 

 other species of the family. Usually, they select the shores of 

 ponds as their breeding places, constructing the nest at the 

 water's edge, or a few feet distant from it on the broken-down 

 rushes or other vegetation found in such localities, and it is of 

 this same material, too, that the nest is built, it being rudely in- 

 terwoven and piled up for several inches with a shallow concav- 

 ity on top. Sometimes, the waters of the pond rising, due to 

 heavy rains, these rude nests are floated, but I doubt that the 

 birds ever build them so originally, as has been stated by some 

 writers. When the parent leaves the nest for any purpose, and 

 has the time to do so, it makes a practice of covering the eggs 



