PODICIPID^ — THE GREBES — COLYMBUS. 



427 



of bill through base, .45-.55 (.51); tarsus, 2.25-2.70 (2.48); outer toe, 2.50-2.85 (2.63). 

 Breediwj-idumcuje : Throat and chin buffy white, passing posteriorly into rich ferruginous 

 on the prominent auricular " frill," which is tipped with black; pileum and elongated 

 tuft on each side of occiput, black. Hah. Palajarctic Region. 



tlie throat, buffy white, succeeded posteriorly by ferruginous, on the basal portion of the frill. Upper parts 

 dark brownisli gray, sometimes nearly or quite black ; secondaries, anterior border of the wing, and inner 

 tertial.s, entirely white ; lower parts white, the sides and flanks grayish brown, tinged with fciTuginous, 

 " Bill blackish brown, tinged with carmine [in the female " dusky green "] ; bare loral space du.sky green, 

 as is the edge of the eyelids ; iris bright carmine ; feet greenish black, the webs grayish blue " (Audubon). 

 Winter plumage : Similar to the summer dress, except the plumage of the head, the occipital tufts and 

 the frill being entirely absent ; pileum and 

 nape sooty grayish brown, fading gradually 

 into grayish white on tlie lower part of the 

 head and neck, the foreneck pale grayish ; 

 sides and flanks without any reddish tinge. 

 Downy young : Neck with six longitudinal 

 dusky stripes alternating with as many 

 stripes of white; that on the foreneck fainter 

 than the rest, and bifurcating below, each 

 branch extending toward the side of the 

 breast ; head with six dusky stripes, the 

 four upper ones being continuations of 

 the neck-stripes, the fifth and sixth running 

 acro.ss tlie cheek (one on each side of the 

 head) from beneath the eye back to beneath 

 the ears ; a dusky spot on the lower jaw, 

 beneath the rictus ; chin and throat en- 

 tirely white. Upper parts sooty grayish 

 brown, lower parts white. 



Total length, about 19.00-24.00 inches; 

 extent, 30.00-33.00 ; wing, 6.80-7.75 ; culmen, 1.75-2.30 ; depth of bill at base, .45-55 ; tarsus, 2.25- 

 2.70 ; outer toe, 2.50-2.85. 



A specimen in summer dress, said to have been obtained in Greenland, is similar to European examples, 

 but has the wing shorter and the bill narrower than any of the five European skins we have examined. 

 An example from New South Wales is not distinguishable in colors from F.uropean ones, but is much 

 larger ; while two from Lake Wakatipa, New Zealand, besides being even larger than the Australian 

 specimen, have much longer bills and tarsi, and are altogether richer colored than any others, the upper 

 parts being deep brownish black, and the basal portion of the frills rich chestnut, while the crown and 

 occipital tufts are glossy greenish black. 



The following measurements exhibit the apparent geographical variations in size : — 



Average of 5 European specimens, 7.25 



One specimen said to be from Greenland, 6.80 

 Average of 2 New Zealand specimens, 7.47 

 One specimen from New South Wales, 7.30 



C. cristatus. 



