422 



THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



Hab. Western Province of North America, breeding nearly throughout its range •, extending 

 irom Southern Caliibrnia on the southwest to the Red River Region (Shoal Lake, breeding abun- 

 dantly) at the northeast. 



Sp. Char. Adult, full breeding-plmmrje : Pilenin and nape slaty black ; remaining upper parts 

 brownish slate, the remiges paler and more grayish, with the inner webs chiefly white ; con- 

 cealed bases of primaries and outer webs of secondaries next the shaft also white. Entire lower 

 parts satiny white, abruptly defined against the black of the pileuni and nape ; sides, beneath the 

 the wings, clouded with grayish j lores usually brownish gray, sometimes white. Bill olivaceous, 

 becoming clear yellowish terminally and along the commissure ; iris bright clear rose-red ; legs 



and feet greenish olive in the dried skin. Adult (and Yonnrj) in winter : Similar, but pileum and 

 nape brownish slate, like the back. " Bill dull, ratlier light yellow, the lower mandible deepening 

 into orange terminally; culmen and broad longitudinal space on the side of the basal two thirds 

 of the lower mandible dark olive-green, the former nearly black ; iris pure carmine (having much 

 the appearance of a red currant), growing narrowly whitish around the pupil ; tarsi and toes dull 

 olivaceous yellow, the outer side of the tarsus and joints of the toes nearly black." ^ Doxony young: 

 Above, uniform brownish gray, the nape and pileum lighter ; lower parts uniform Avhite ; bill 

 blackish. No streaks or other markings whatever about the plumage. 



Total length, about 26.00 inches ; extent, 40.00 ; wing, 7.45-8.50 (average, 8.07) ; culmen, 2.60- 

 3.05 (2.78) ; depth of bill through base, .45-.56 (.54) ; tarsus, 2.75-3.10 (2.94) ; outer toe, 2.60- 

 3.20 (2.67). (Fourteen adults.) 



This large and conspicuous species was first made known in the " Report of the 

 Pacitic Railroad Explorations," from specimens collected by Drs. Kennerly, Cooper, 

 and Suckley, at Bodega, Cal., in Shoalwater Bay, Fort Steilacoom, and on Puget 

 Sound. Since that time this bird has been ascertained to have an extended dis- 

 tribution from the Pacific coast of Southern California to Shoal Lake, in the Fur 

 Regions. 



Mr. Donald Gunn, referring to this species, states that the large Grebes were only 

 met with by him on the shores of Shoal Lake. Although he had travelled over a 

 large portion of what is known as Rupert's Land, he is quite positive that he has 

 never seen this bird anywhere before. He met with it in vast numbers at Shoal 

 Lake. There he found them breeding, making their nests of bulrushes fixed to other 

 rushes that were standing. The nest floats on the water, but is kept by the stems of 

 the rooted plants, to which it is fastened, from drifting away from its moorings. All 

 the other Grebes, so far as he has seen, make their nests of the same materials and 

 in the same manner. 



1 Fresh colors of an adult male killed January 13. (See Ridgway, Orn. Fortieth Parallel, p. 641.) 



