34 BIRDS 



with separate lobes, enabling the birds to propel themselves 

 through the water, either on or beneath the surface, with 

 great rai^idit}'. Thej' have no tail feathers. 



The floating nest of decaying vegetation is anchored to 

 the reeds or rushes in from one to five feet of water. The 

 birds obtain the material for these floating nests from the 

 bottom of the lakes and marshes where the nest is situated. 

 It is estimated that the birds make two hundred trips below 

 the surface to obtain the required amount of nesting mate- 

 rial. The pied-billed arrives in the Great Lakes region in 

 April, and may i-emain to breed around the lagoons and 

 lakesides of Illinois and Indiana. A few pairs nest within 

 the cit}-- limits of Chicago. 



The writer's collection contains a nest of nine eggs taken 

 June 18, 1902, in Cook County, Illinois. The eggs of all 

 the grebes are immaculate when laid, but soon become badly 

 nest-stained. 



LOON 



The Loon, or Great Northern Diver, is migrator}'- 

 through northern Ilhnois, although a few formerly bred 

 in the Fox Lake region. ISIicliigan and Wisconsin are 

 favorite summer resorts for the loon, and many pass north- 

 ward into Canada to breed. Dui-ing the spring and fall 

 loons abound on the Great Lakes, and are frequently caught 

 in fish nets or on set lines which have been baited with 

 minnows. One pair of loons usually reign supreme on each 

 little inland lake among the northern Avoods. 



They usually migrate bj' night, flying liigh. During 

 the breeding season their weird notes echo among the pines 



