THE GBEAT-CRESTED GT?EBE. 179 



Mr. Gatcombe writes, in 1850 — " Specimens of the crested 

 grebe are obtained almost every winter in the small bays along the 

 shores of Plymouth Sound, especially near the entrance of the river 

 Tamar; but large flocks appeared during severe frosts and strong 

 easterly winds many winters ago. They remained off the sea- 

 wall, near the Devil's Point, through the months of January and 

 February, and during that time a great many were killed. My 

 brother and I alone shot about twenty specimens, all in that state 

 of plumage in which they are called the ' tippet grebe,' some 

 of the younger birds bearing traces of the peculiar dark stripes 

 on the cheeks and down the neck. We kept the skins of fifteen, 

 intending to have them made into a tippet or muff; but, owing 

 to our not being able to divest them of the thick layers of fat 

 covering the skin of the breast, they became so rancid that we 

 were ultimately obKged to throw them away. I \^'as much struck 

 with a habit the crested grebe had when on the water of suddenly 

 erecting and shaking the plumage of the back, just in the man- 

 ner of a bird after having charged its plumage with dust. On 

 the eve of diving they would invariably sink their bodies deep in 

 the water, showing only their long necks and a portion of their 

 backs. During very rough weather they kept so near the shore 

 that they were often obliged to dive suddenly through the waves 

 to prevent their being dashed against the rocks. Many Sclavo- 

 nian or dusky grebes were obtained in company with them. I 

 have not known either species so plentiful since that time." 



On the subject of feathers contained in the stomach of greles, 

 Dr. Fleming, in his ' Philosophy of Zoology,' remarks : — " We 

 have found in the stomach of the eared grebe {Fodiceps auritus), 

 in the month of January, a large ball of its own breast feathers ; 

 probably pulled off and swallowed to satisfy its hunger" (vol. i. 

 p. 31G). Further allusion is made to this circumstance in the 

 same author's ' History of British Animals,' where, after referring 



brood being lialclied about tlic last day of IVIay ; two weeks afterwards four eggs were 

 fouivd in the nest of tlie other pair. One of the feuiak:s which was killed contained 

 five eggs nearly of full size, from which circumstance there is uo doubt that a second 

 brood would have been produced. 



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