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THE HORNED GREBE. 



PODICEPS CORNUTUS, LiNN. 

 PLATE CCLIX. Male and Young. 



The period at which this Httle Grebe makes its first appearance, af- 

 ter the breeding season, on the waters of the Western States, such as the 

 Ohio, the Mississippi, and their numerous tributaries, is the beginning of 

 October, when I have seen them arriving and passing onward on wing at 

 a considerable height in the air, following the course of the streams. The 

 generally received idea that birds of this genus perform their migrations 

 on the water, is extremely absurd. I have already offered some remarks 

 on this subject, but as too much cannot be said, when an erroneous no- 

 tion extensively adopted has to be disproved, I here repeat that I have 

 seen flocks of Grebes on wing and migrating high in the air, apparently 

 with as much ease, as many longer-winged birds, and with considerable 

 velocity. 



Towards evening, on the 14th of October 1820, I was floating in a 

 small boat on the Ohio. The weather was perfectly calm, and I was 

 startled by a whistling sound over head, resembling that of a Hawk stoop- 

 ing on its prey, when, on looking up, I saw a flock of Grebes, about thirty 

 in number, gliding towards the water as if about to alight within a quarter 

 of a mile from me. In a few minutes they had come within a few yards 

 of the surface of the water, when suddenly checking their speed, they 

 pursued their course until out of sight ; but in a short time I saw them 

 returning towards me, and in less than a minute they all passed at a dis- 

 tance of forty or fifty yards, took a round and alighted pell-mell. The 

 next moment, they were all engaged in washing and trimming themselves, 

 in the manner of Ducks, Cormorants, and other aquatic birds. As I 

 rowed towards them, they scarcely took notice of me, so that they were 

 easily approached ; and finding a number of them close together, I fired 

 and killed four. The rest paddled off for some yards, rose on wing, and 

 flew down the stream in a pretty close body, looking as if not disposed to 

 settle again for some time. On picking up the dead birds, I found them 

 to be of the present species, three being young, the other an adult with 



