420 THE BIEDS OF DEVON. 



A Sdavonian Grebe was shot at Plymouth, December 18.53 CB., MS. Notes), and 

 Bome were obtained there in February and March 1870 (Zool. 1870, p. 2100). One 

 March 2.5lh, 1871 (B., M>^. Notes); one December 1878; another January 11th, and 

 a pair January l.jth, 1879; otlicrs in January 1881, and one November 5th, 1881 

 (Zool. 1878, p'. 11.5 ; 1870, pp. 20.5, 206 ; 1881,"p. 195; 1882, p. 65j. 



Immature birds have been shot on Kingsbridge estuary (E. A. S. E.), and one 

 wliich had been just shot at Slapton Ley was seen by us January 21st, 1856 (Zool. 

 1856, p. 5065), and we believe that we saw another there a lew days later. 



A Sclavonian Grebe occurred on Torbay in the winter of 1864-5 (C. S., in lift.) ; two 

 young birds December 2(Jth, 1869: one Januarv 9th, 1870; and another March 8th, 

 1870 (Von H., Zool. 1870, pp. 2059, 2098); another January 7th, 1871 (J. H. G., 

 Zool. 1871, p. 2631). 



One in immature plumage was .shot on the Exe estuary, October 5th, 1839 (F. W. 

 L. R., M.S. Journ. ii. p. 126; ; another October 11th, 1877, and two early in December 

 ISW. 



Mr. Gatcombe has recorded a Sclavonian Grebe obtained at Seaton, March 1870 

 (J. G., MS. Notes). 



Respecting this Grebe in Cornwall we find Mr. llodd writing : " A good 

 deal has appeared in the papers about the rarity of the Sclavonian or 

 Homed Grebe, but in the different inlets and creeks of Falmouth Har- 

 bour, where rushes and reeds ofier a suitable retreat, such as St. Just 

 Creek, under Mesack, the Lamorran Creek, the Tresillian Pdver, and the 

 Fal, up to the morass and rushes under Trewartheniok, various species of 

 Grebe, from the Great Crested to the little Dabchick, may be seen every 

 year and throughout the year." However, he considered the Sclavonian 

 a less common species than either the Great Crested or Red-necked Grebes. 

 On the Dorset coast it is paid to be " the commonest of the genus next to 

 the Little Grebe, especially in salt water," and one was shot in Poole 

 Harbour in mature plumage in March 1S72 (M.-P., ' Birds of Dorset,' 

 p. 123). Mr. Cecil Smith knew of only two Somerset specimens. 



The Sclavonian Grebe is a northern species, very rare in the south of 

 Europe, and breeding in the northern parts of the Continent, in British 

 N. America, «S:c. 



Eared G-rebe. Podkeps nigricolUs, C. L. Brehra. 



A casual visitor, in winter and spring, from the South to both Xorth 

 and South Devon. 



This is a smaller species than the Sclavonian Grebe, and is not .so 

 numerous on our Devon waters, but more examples have been noticed in 

 the fitU adult pjlumage in the spring, in proportion to its numljers, than 

 of any of the members of the Grebe family we have already described. 

 It cannot be considered a rare bird on our coasts, as examples in the 

 winter plumage are also occasionally obtained, and have occurred to 

 ourselves on the Barnstaple river. The smaller size and the slightly up- 

 turned beak make it easily to be distinguished from examples in the 

 winter jdumage of the Sclavonian Grebe, and in their summer plumages 

 the two species are very unlike. "We have in our collection a very perfect 

 example of the Eared Grebe in the summer dress, which was shot by one 

 of the river pilots, out of a little flock of five, close to Barnstaple bridge, 

 on 7th April, 18G5 ; and on April 18th, 1874, Mr. Cecil Smith received 



