( 617 ) 

 THE RED-NECKED GREBE. 



PODICEPS BUBRICOLLIS, LatH. 

 PLATE CCXCVIII. Male and Young. 



I HAVE found this species along the coast from New York to Maine, 

 in the winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal 

 number. At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy, 

 and among the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already in their 

 spring plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one occasion 

 our boat was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived in search of 

 food. On emerging they were only a few yards distant ; but, although 

 several guns were fired at them, they escaped unhurt, for they instantly 

 dived again, passed under the boat at the depth of about a yard, and did 

 not rise until at a safe distance. None of us could conceive how they had 

 managed to elude us, for as they were so near, the shot threw up the water 

 in its course, and I had expected to find them completely mangled. 



Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never ob- 

 served it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr Richard- 

 son states, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that it " is very common in 

 the fur countries, frequenting every lake with grassy borders." M. Tem- 

 MiNCK says " that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and the borders of the sea, but 

 in greater number on fresh- waters ; are tolerably common in different 

 parts of Europe ; feed on small fish, fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and 

 vegetables ; form their nests of the same materials, and place it in the 

 same situations as the Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs." An 

 egg lent me by my esteemed friend Mr Yaekell, measured two inches in 

 length by one inch and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale 

 greenish-white. 



PoDiCEPs HUBRicoLLis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. voL ii. p. 783. — Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis 

 of Birds of the United States, p. 417. — Swaiiis. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. 

 part ii. p. 411. 



Red-necked Grebe, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 253. 



Adult Male. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill about the length of the head, straight, rather slender, compressed, 



