PODICIPID^. 415 



mention was picked up dead by the side of a small pond near Taunton. 

 In the clear waters off Dorsetshire the " 8prat Loon," as it is there called, 

 is common enough, and examples with the red throats have been often 

 procured, es]jecially off \Yeymouth. Mr. Pike has shot them in this 

 plumage " with the wing-feathers moulting to such an extent that the 

 birds were incapable of flight '' — a proof, ^Cr. Maiisel-Pleydell believes, that 

 these birds •' must swim down the coast from their northern breeding- 

 haunts, or else that, like the Penguins, thev moult very rapidlv" (P. of D. 

 p. 121). 



In their speckled plumage, when the head and the whole of the back 

 are of a dark lead-blue plentifully dotted with Avhite spots, and with all 

 the underparts pure white, the immature birds are very handsome, quite 

 as much so, we consider, as the adult birds, whose red throats hardly 

 compensate for the loss of this pretty speckled dress. 



The Ped-throated Diver breeds commonly in the north-west of Scotland, 

 where its wild cry is one of the summer sounds, and is considei'ed to 

 portend rain, hence obtaining for the bird the name of " Paiu Goose." 



Family PODICIPID^. 

 THE GREBES. 



All the five species of Grebe upon the British List have 

 been met with in Devonshire. Only one of them is a 

 resident, viz. the Little Grebe, or Dabchick ; all the rest 

 being autumn, winter, and spring visitors, and none of 

 them are very common. In their habits the Grebes are 

 very similar, as they all resort to freshwater ponds and 

 lakes at the breeding-season, and build nests of aquatic 

 ])lants on the muddy banks, or on masses of vegetation 

 floating u})on tlie water. The eggs are two to four in 

 number, white when they arc first laid, but soon becoming 

 stained of a clay colour from the muddy feet of the birds. 

 The nestlings are at first covered with down marked with 

 longitudinal stripes. Li the autumn and winter all the 

 northern species migrate to the south, and are then 

 commonly met with in salt water. The adults are remark- 

 able for their singular plumage in tlie nesting-season, 



