730 F. Finn — Notes on various species of Qrebes. ■ [No. 4, 1897. 



One of the birds, I think the same, remained on the tank for at 

 least a year after this, but ultimately disappeared. As before indicated, 

 I have had other specimens, and noted in these also the power of 

 walking denied to the Grebes by some observers. On two occasions I ex- 

 perimented with some in order to find if they could rise off the ground 

 and get on the wing. The results of the experiments have left me 

 somewhat in doubt on this point. In the first case a bird let loose 

 on a lawn was able to raise itself a foot or so from the ground, and I 

 note that it " could evidently have flowu off if in good form." This 

 was early in the present year, and the other day I repeated the ex- 

 periment with another bird, which could hardly clear the ground, but 

 it was, I think, in a weak state at the time, for it could not walk 

 far at a time, and when turned out on the tank came out of the water, 

 a thing I have seldom seen a healthy Dabchick do. In fact, 1 believe 

 these birds sleep in the water from what I have seen. 



The iris in this species is brownish yellow, but I noticed that in niy 

 young bird it was hazel at first, and in a still younger one, downy all 

 over, and with no feathers on the wings, it was brown. 



The beak is buff, black along the ridge, and green at angle of 

 mouth. 



