306 



Adult : spring. Throat grey, with lower part chestnut-red. 

 Winter. Above ashy grey, speckled and spotted with white, most so in 

 the young; underparts white. Length 21-23 inches. 



PODICIPEDID^]. Feet with lobes ; no true tail. 



359. Podicipes cristatus (Linnseus). The Great Crested 

 Grebe. 



Spanish. Zambullidor (applied to all Grebes and Divers). 



" This large Grebe is, near Tangier, less common than Podiceps 

 minor. Some remain in the country to breed ; the others pass 

 north during March. They are very abundant at the lakes of 

 Has el Doura." Favier. 



"We can quite corroborate the latter statement; for when we 

 were at those lakes at the end of April, the number of these 

 Grebes, as well as of the next species, was perfectly marvellous. 

 They were in pairs, but had not commenced laying. These 

 swampy lakes, much covered at the sides with aquatic plants 

 and sedges, must be a paradise for all Grebes and water-birds ; 

 but it is vexation of spirit and almost useless for the ornithologist 

 to go there. The Arabs, at the egging-season, move their tents 

 close to the lake and plunder every nest they can find, and 

 further pester Europeans to an unbearable degree, being almost 

 as annoying and intrusive as the mosquitoes, which were there 

 more troublesome than in any country I have been in. Towards 

 Casas Viejas and Gibraltar I never obtained the present species ; 

 but Lord Lilford found them breeding plentifully in May near 

 the edge of the Goto de Donana. 



Male : summer. Crown and tufts black ; tippet round face chestnut, 

 with black edges. 



Female. Rather smaller ; crest and tippet not so much developed. 



In winter these ornaments are scarcely present in the adult male, less so 

 in the female, and absent in the young ; all have white eye-stripe. Length 

 20-24 inches. 



