434 



THK niVIN'd HIHDS - I'Yr.OPOHKS. 



ill! 



IH 



A single 8])PPiinon of this binl is n'runlcil by Major Wi'iUlcrlnini as haviii}^ hoou 

 taken in HeriniKla in ISK!; and Mr. Iliinlis nu-ntiuns that a line speeinien in tiie 

 sjirini,' pliiniai^e was shot in Keltruary. IS,"*/*. 



I'nitt'ssor Kninlien inrornis nie tliat tliis (Irelte arrives in Sontliern Wiseonsin in 

 Ajiril. and is not rare in l.aite Koskononi,' in May. It keeps within a low rods of t lie 

 shore, wiiere tiie water is not too shallow, lint is rarely, if ever, seen far ont in tho 

 lake. It is not known to lireed there, and is not seen in the siininier. 



In ISIL', when eolleetini,' on the Isl... I of (lottland, in the l?altie, .lidy 14, Mr. 

 Knndien ju'ocnred seven adnlt specimens and fonr yonng chicks. The old birds were 

 (piite tame, and wonld not take to winj^. or did so very relnctantly. When startled 

 they Hew very sharply, but low. They were },'reat divers ; but the water beinj,' less 

 than two feet deej), and dear, he could easily see thcni under the water, and caught 

 two of the old birds while they were diving, lie lias never nu't with this species in 

 the fall. 



This (irebe probaldy breeds from New I'runswick to Oregon in all snitjvble jdaces, 

 ixnd north of those regions. In the ncighlMirhood of I'endiina its eggs are found by 

 the middle of J\Mie, on nests essentially similar to all those of this family, being 

 floating masses of reeds. The young are nearly full-grown by the last of duly or 

 the first of August. Examples of this species were secured in large nmnbers, dining 

 the breeding-season, at Fort Ues(dution, on the Yukim. by Mr. Kenui(!ott; by Mr. 

 Uoss on the .\nderson, near Fort Simpson, Fort Jvae, and Fort Kesolution; on l«ig 

 Island by ^Ir. Keid ; and on the Lower Mackenzie by Mr. Silibiston. 



The eggs of this species are \isnally fo\ir in nundter. They are very nearly oval, 

 with littli! ditference in either end. and have (piite a snu)oth surface. The ground- 

 color, like that of the eggs of all the CJrebes, is originally of a bluish chalky-white, 

 lint more or less iiu'rnsted. They almost always beconu! discolored, and are thus 

 cliauged to vai'ious shades of bufV, brown, anil even, in some instances, to orange. 

 Kggs from (Jreat Slave hake and from the Yukon IJiver, in the National ^Museum, 

 vary in length from l.(i(» to l.SO and l.S."i inches, and in breadth from 1.10 to 1.15 

 and l.L'O. The longest eggs liave usually the smallest breadth. 



Dytes nigricollis. 



THE EARED OBEBE. 



If. Nigricollis. 



Cohimhiis iiiiri/n.i, I, inn. Fiiiin. Si I'd. 2, ITiil, 'r.i (part ; mit of 17"i8). 



PoiHirjiii niiin'rollis, liuK.llM, Vii;;. IVut.sclil. 1S31, '.Ki.'J. 



Diilcs tiiijriciillis, liiiHiw. Xom. N. Am. H. IHSl, no. 733. 



Enrcil (li-i'hi; Yaku. Brit. 15. id. 2, 111. 417; oil. :!, HI. 420, ()«. ; il Aui-r. 



/(. Californicus. 



Podierpn miri/ii.t, Nrrr. Man. II. 1834, 250. -■ Arn. Oiii. Hiop;. V. 183(1, lOS, ]il. 404 ; Syiinp. 1S31I, 

 S.'iS ; 15. Am. VII. 1814, 322, ]A. 482. — I.awh. in I5iiir.rs 15. X. Am. IS.'.S, 897. 



Pi^fiivps ciili/oniini^, Ilr.i-iiM. Pi. Ac. Xaf. .S.i. I'liiliul. 1854, 17!> ; raciric 1!. T. lii'p. X. 185!>, Tii, 

 pi. 8 (young).— bAWis. in Kainl's 15. X. Am. 1,858, SUfi. — Maikii, ("at. X. Am. 15. IS.IH, no. 707. 



PiiihW/is {PniclDpits) riilifiiniinci, Currs, I'r. .\f. Xat. Sci. I'liila.l. 1862, 231. 404. 



PmUcc/is aiiriliis, var. rn/i/uniicits, CiUKs, Ki'V, 1872, 337 ; Clnrk List, 1873, no. C12 ; Birds X. ^V 

 1874. 733. 



Poilicipcs iiiirilus califorHicnK, ('iicr.s, 2d I'licck List, 1882, no. 850. 



Dytis nigricollis citJifin'nifiiH, liiiiiiw. Notii. X. Am. 15. 1881, no. 733 n. 



