PODICIPID^E'— THE GREBES. 2G1 



Very little above the surface o? the water, and ooutained three 

 eg-TS. He saw the female, but only at a distance; both this 

 species and the Horned Grebe (<7. auritiui) being seldom or never 

 seen to leave their nests, as they quietly slip into the water and 

 dive at once. After incubation has begun, the female, when she 

 leaves her nest, covers up her eggs with wet grass taken from 

 the bottom of her nest, unless compelled to depart on the in- 

 stant. In several oases Mr. Kennicott found the eggs quite 

 warm when thus hidden; and he was convinced that the bird 

 could only have just left the nest on his approach, but that she 

 h^d stopped long enough to conceal her eggs. The top of the 

 nest is always more or less wet, and this causes the discol- 

 oration of the eggs. ( Water Birch of North America, Vol. II., 

 p. 430.) 



Subgenus BYTES Kaup. 



Dytcs Eaup, Sk. Ent. Eur Thierw. 1829. 49. Type. Colymbus comutns Gmel..=C. aui-i- 

 tvs Linn. 



Froctopus Kaup, 1. c. Type, Pot^Aceps nwricollis Beehji. 



Otodytes Reich. Syst. Nat. 1S53, p. iii. Tjpe, P. nigriboUia. 



SuBGEN. Char. Bill much shorter than the head, the culmen equal to about 3 to 3)6 

 times the basal depth. Otherwise lilie Colyjnhus, but size less (wing not more than 6.00 

 inches). 



The two North American si^ecies of this subgenus, both of 

 which occur in Illinois, though very distinct in their nuptial 

 livery, are much alike in their winter and immature plumages. 

 The shape of the bill, however, will enable one to distinguish 

 them readily if the following differences are kept in mind : 



1. C. auritus. Bill compressed (depper than wide at the base); nuptial plumage with 

 lower neck and chest rufous, sides of the occiput with a very full dens© tuft of soft, blended. 

 Ochrac^ouB feathers. 



2. C. Tligrioollisoalifornious. Bill depressed (broader than deep at the basel; nQptial 

 plumage, with head, ne«k. and chest black, the sides of the head, behind eyes, with a 

 •omewbat fan-shapod. loose patch of slender ochraceous feathers. 



Colymbus auritus Linn. 



HOKNED GEEBE. 

 Popular synonyms. Dusky Grebo; Sclavonian Grebe- Hell-diver: Di-dippcr. 

 Columbus auriius Linn. 9. -N. ed. 10 i. 1758. 135: ed. li i. 1766. 222.-A. 0. U. Check List. 1886. 

 No. 3.- R150W. Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 5. 

 Dytes auritus BiDGW. Nom. N, Am. B. 1891. No. 732:-B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. II 

 1884. 482. 



