THE PIE-BILLED GREBE. 



{Podilymbus podiceps ) 



Few birds are more fascinating than 

 the Grebes when they are in their natural 

 element. On the land and in the air they 

 are at a disadvantage, but in the water 

 they are at home and float "with the 

 buoyancy of down, agile as the summer 

 breeze, easily diving to escape shot or 

 bullet, and swimming long distances 

 under water to elude its pursuers." The 

 Pied-billed Grebes are practically un- 

 known in those localities which are devoid 

 of water courses, lakes and ponds ; and 

 they are resident throughout the year in 

 many of those portions of their range 

 where there is open water during the 

 winter. Their range is long and broad 

 though they are strictly American birds. 

 From the Argentine Republic and Chili 

 they may be found in suitable locaHties 

 northward to Hudson Bay and the Great 

 Slave ^Lake. They breed quite through- 

 out their range, and they winter as far 

 north as the limit of open waters. It is 

 evident from an examination of their 

 structure that they are neither adapted to 

 a Hfe on land or even in the air. Their 

 legs are placed so far back on the body 

 that they not only are exceedingly awk- 

 ward in locomotion but also helpless, for 

 they cannot rise in flight from the land. 

 While they fly with considerable speed 

 and not a little grace, the flight is accom- 

 plished only with labored working of the 

 short wings which lack the well-devel- 

 oped flying quills of those birds which 

 are adapted to a life in the air. But it is 

 those characteristics of their anatomy 

 which make them helpless on the land 

 and loath to mount into the air, that make 

 them better fitted for life in the water. 

 *'The slight movements of their feet, sit- 

 uated toward the rear of the body, tip 

 the head and breast forward, and give 

 them the remarkable ease noticeable in 

 their diving, so much so that none of the 

 water birds exhibits greater dexterity." 



It is with great difficulty that one may 

 study the nesting habits of these Grebes. 

 They are always vigilant and when their 

 suspicion is aroused, they quickly secrete 

 themselves in the aquatic vegetation of 

 their habitat, or diving, swim from the 

 range of observation. When alarmed, the 

 Grebes can dive instantly ; so quickly, in 

 fact, that they seemed to avoid the flash 

 of the old muzzle-loading weapon of the 

 sportsman. Many are the instances when 

 the hunter has fired only to observe after- 

 wards that his game has disappeared and 

 he may have watched long for its reap- 

 pearance, only to be disappointed. Neltje 

 Blanchan has truly said of the Pied-billed 

 Grebe : 'Tt will swim swiftly under water 

 to a safe distance from danger; then, by 

 keeping only its nostrils exposed to the 

 air, will float along just under the sur- 

 face and leave its would-be assassin com- 

 pletely mystified as to its whereabouts — 

 a trick the very fledglings practice." It 

 is this habit of eluding an intruder in its 

 domain that has given it the names 

 Water-witch, iHell-diver, Dipper, Dip- 

 chick and Diedapper. It is also called 

 Carolina Grebe, Dabchick and, because it 

 is the smallest of the grebes, Little Grebe. 



If we would enjoy and study the habits 

 of these odd birds, we must remain hid- 

 den while watching them. We have 

 called them fascinating birds, but they 

 are far from handsome. iHowever, their 

 graceful movements on the water can 

 but attract us. We quote the words of 

 Reverend J. iH. Langille, who says : 

 ''They seem most active between daylight 

 and sunrise. Then, if one is well hid 

 away by the still water, their active swim- 

 ming and graceful diving can be seen to 

 good advantage. Spreading considerably 

 apart, they allow themselves plenty of 

 room. How the nipples, started by their 

 breasts, enlarge like arcs ot circles on 

 the glassy surface, and intersecting each 



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