266 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, Sfc. 



front, 1"9 to 2-1 ; tarsus, 2-25 to 2-45; weight, 2 lbs. 10 ozs. 

 to 3 lbs. 8 ozs. A female measured, length, 19-75 ; expanse, 31 ; 

 wing, 7"2; bill at front, 1*65 ; tarsus, 2"2,- weight, 2*4 ozs. 



The irides were red to bright red ; the bill from fleshy red 

 to bright pink, brownish on the culmen at base, and at base 

 of lower mandible; the legs and feet varied from blackish 

 brown to dusky plumbeous exteriorly, and interiorly from 

 creamy, to dingy yellow, somewhat dusky on the joints. Some 

 of the birds were entirely in winter plumage, with no trace of 

 rufous or a ruff about them ; others had the whole head rufous 

 with the black ruff band well developed, and a great deal of 

 rufous mingled with the upper plumage. 



974 bis. — Podiceps nigricoUis, SundevaU. 



Golymhus auritus var. B. Linn. 8. N. t. i., p. 222. — 

 Briss Ornith. t, vi, p. 55. — Lath. Ind. Orn. t. ii, 

 jp. 781. — Podiceps nigricoUis, Sund. Ofvers, Kongl. 

 Velesnh. Alad. (1844) p. 210. 



I believe that opinions are still divided as to whether nigri- 

 coUis really merits specific separation from auritus. The two 

 species are certainly very closely allied ; but differ, I think, both 

 in certain details of coloration and in shape of bill sufficiently 

 to justify their separation. 



Our birds, though somewhat exceeding the dimensions usu- 

 ally assigned to SundevalPs species, belong clearly to the nigri- 

 coUis, and not the auritus division. The adults have the whole 

 neck in front blackish, and not merely the upper portion as in 

 restricted aurittis. The beak is entirely black without any 

 ruddy tinge towards the top or at the base ; the upper man- 

 dible is markedly depressed towards the middle, and raised to- 

 wards the tip, while it is decidedly broader than it is high be- 

 hind the nasal grooves, whereas in auritus, it is higher than 

 wide at this place. 



This species is not uncommon about the mouths of the 

 Indus, and along the Sindh and Mekran Coasts as far, at any 

 rate, as G wader. I saw specimens just outside the Kurrachee 

 Harbour, beyond the Oyster Rocks ; but failed to procure any 

 there. They were most common at Soomeeanee Bay, just at the 

 boundaries of Khelat and Sindh, and it was there that I procur- 

 ed most of my specimens. Like all grebes these birds depend 

 for safety on their extraordinary diving powers, and after one 

 or two shots have been fired, they never dream of flying- when 

 any boat is at all near them. On the other hand, before they 

 have been disturbed, I noticed them flying about, more than 



