The Grebes 103 



ing in the Arctic regions. Very closely allied is the Pacific Loon (G. pacified}, 

 being distinguished by its smaller size and the paler color of the nape and back 

 of the head ; it is confined to the Pacific coast of North America. In the remain- 

 ing form, the Red-throated Loon (G. lumme), the tarsus is longer than the middle 

 toe with its claw, and the fore neck is a rich chestnut. It is widely distributed 

 over the northern portion of the Northern Hemisphere, nesting well within 

 the Arctic regions. 



THE GREBES 



(Family Podicipedidce) 



As already stated the Grebes are much smaller birds than the Loons, few of 

 them exceeding twenty inches in length, and many of them being under ten 

 inches. By far the larger portion of their lives is spent in fresh-water lakes and 

 mds, but in winter and during the migrations they often resort to the sea. 

 their relatives they are most expert divers, taking to wing with great re- 

 luctance and only when so hard pressed that they would otherwise be captured, 

 "hey readily dive at the flash of a gun and before shot or bullet can reach them. 

 Inlike many other water birds they do not employ the wings in swimming under 

 /ater, but depend exclusively on the lobed feet for both diving and swimming. 

 Their food consists of frogs, fish, mollusks, water insects, and occasionally seeds 

 and bits of vegetation. The nest is a thick, matted platform of rushes and other 

 aquatic plants, often procured by the birds by diving, and is usually floating on 

 the water, being perhaps slightly anchored, often over deep water, to some rush 

 or other aquatic plant. The eggs, two to five in number, and dull white or 

 greenish white in color, are placed in a slight depression on the top of the float- 

 ing mass, and are always damp and not infrequently hatched while partially 

 covered with water. "When out of the shell the young has not far to walk; 

 he looks a few moments over the edge of his water-drenched cradle and down 

 he goes with the expertness of an old diver." Ordinarily Grebes cannot be called 

 gregarious, but frequently a few pairs build their nests close together. Thus 

 Mr. Henshaw found upward of a dozen nests of the American Eared Grebe in a 

 pond in southern Colorado, while Mr. Goss found fully a hundred pairs of the 

 same species nesting in a little cove of Como Lake, Wyoming, and Mr. Seebohm 

 records the finding of a dozen nests of the European Dabchick in an immense 

 reed-bed near Danzig, Germany. After the full complement of eggs has been 

 laid, the parent when leaving the nest, unless startled into leaving suddenly, 

 carefully covers the eggs up with weeds and moss, entirely concealing them. 

 As they are otherwise left exposed it is thought by Mr. Seebohm that the object 

 is not so much for the purpose of hiding them as to protect them against cold ; 

 other authorities, however, are strongly of the opinion that it is done purely for 

 purposes of concealment against egg-eating birds, such as Gulls, which would 

 undoubtedly be quick to observe the uncovered eggs. During the breeding 

 season Grebes have a variety of loud "braying" notes, but at other times they 



