Photography at Feeding-Stations 143 



crack with suet. Three photographs were taken of these confiding Httle fellows, 

 but one turned out a complete failure. Another Brown Creeper picture was the 

 day's remaining bit of success. 



On the 27 th, Tufted Titmice chattered at my attempts but refused to have 

 their image imprisoned in a piece of 4 x 5-inch glass, despite all my coaxing. 

 February 10 the last attempt was made but without success. 



In this way the winter of the past year was spent pleasantly, healthfully, 

 and profitably — pleasantly by association with nature, healthfully by outdoor 

 activity in all sorts of weather, and profitably by the making of valuable ad- 

 ditions to my knowledge of bird-life. Of all the exposures made, only two 

 were failures, and both those because of some accident in manipulating the 

 camera. This year more elaborate preparations will be made and better 

 results looked for. 



Holbcell's Grebe in Connecticut 



By "WILBUR F. SMITH. South Norwalk, Conn. 



^THMIE largest number of Holbcell's Grebes that I have known to be in 



I this section occurred in the spring oi 1916, and as none of the books 

 -^ to which I have access give much information concerning their food 

 habits or their behavior when on land, I was glad when exceptional circum- 

 stances gave me an opportunity to observe both at close range. 



The first Grebe reported was found on March 19, on the snow far from the 

 shore, and, as so often happens, the party finding it ran for a gun and shot it. 

 Fortunately I was able to save the skin for Birdcraft's Museum. 



On March 24 the ice began to break up in Rowayton harbor, and, in a small 

 open space near the docks, just behind some fishermen's boats in which they 

 were repairing an engine, two of these Grebes were feeding. They fished con- 

 tinually, and hunger may have had something to do with their apparent lack 

 of caution, boldness, or confidence in man, as at times they came up within 

 15 feet of the boat in which the men were working. 



One of the men told me that he saw one catch a large smelt, and that when 

 he went on deck in the night "they were still fishing and seemed to be always 

 fishing." While I watched them they were feeding on small flounders, and 

 occasionally they would catch one too large to handle in the open water, where- 

 upon they would swim into shallow water or to the edge of the ice, and strike 

 and pound the fish into condition to eat. 



On March 26 three of us went to Rowayton to see the Grebes. We found 

 that the ice had gone farther out of the harbor and that the Grebes were fishing 

 farther off shore, where three more had joined them. A number of Herring 

 Gulls were sitting around on the ice and floating down on detached cakes, and, 

 as it proved, watching the Grebes as intently as we were, for when a Grebe 



