﻿92 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  tarsi 
  compressed, 
  scutellate, 
  the 
  rear 
  edge 
  serrate; 
  nails 
  broad, 
  flat 
  and 
  

   blunt; 
  tibio-tarsal 
  (heel) 
  joint 
  naked; 
  bill 
  straight 
  or 
  sometimes 
  curved 
  

   at 
  the 
  tip; 
  a 
  naked 
  strip 
  from 
  the 
  eye 
  to 
  base 
  of 
  bill; 
  tail 
  rudimentary; 
  

   wings 
  weak, 
  conspicuously 
  concavo-convex; 
  fifth 
  cubital 
  wanting; 
  primary 
  

   feathers 
  12 
  in 
  number, 
  11 
  being 
  developed 
  and 
  several 
  emarginate, 
  con- 
  

   cealed 
  when 
  closed 
  by 
  the 
  elongated 
  inner 
  secondaries. 
  Like 
  the 
  loons 
  

   they 
  have 
  a 
  large 
  apophysis 
  of 
  the 
  tibia 
  which 
  renders 
  it 
  difficult 
  to 
  unjoint 
  

   the 
  knee 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  manner 
  when 
  dissecting. 
  Carotids 
  single. 
  Eggs 
  

   often 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  7 
  or 
  9. 
  Young 
  praecocial. 
  

  

  These 
  are 
  the 
  "Hell 
  -divers," 
  or 
  lobe-footed 
  divers, 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  

  

  our 
  youthful 
  gunners. 
  The 
  Western 
  grebe 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  found 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  

  

  furnished 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  grebes' 
  breasts 
  so 
  extensively 
  used 
  on 
  ladies' 
  hats 
  

  

  and 
  muffs 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  curious 
  fact 
  that 
  a 
  grebe's 
  stomach 
  

  

  usualh' 
  contains, 
  at 
  least 
  during 
  the 
  spring 
  migrations, 
  a 
  compact 
  mass 
  of 
  

  

  the 
  bird's 
  own 
  feathers, 
  probably 
  swallowed 
  during 
  the 
  molt. 
  Although 
  

  

  grebes 
  can 
  scarcely 
  be 
  called 
  beneficial 
  birds, 
  we 
  can 
  well 
  spare 
  the 
  small 
  

  

  fr}' 
  which 
  they 
  destro}^ 
  as 
  a 
  return 
  for 
  the 
  lively 
  entertainment 
  which 
  they 
  

  

  furnish 
  all 
  visitors 
  to 
  our 
  lakes 
  and 
  bays. 
  

  

  Colymbus 
  holboelli 
  (Reinhardt) 
  

  

  Holboell 
  Grebe 
  

  

  Plate 
  I 
  

  

  Podiceps 
  holboellii 
  Reinhardt. 
  Vid. 
  Med. 
  1853. 
  p. 
  76 
  

  

  Podiceps 
  cristatus 
  and 
  P. 
  rubricollis 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844 
  . 
  pt 
  2, 
  

  

  p. 
  275, 
  276 
  

   Colymbus 
  holboellii 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  2 
  

  

  colym'hus, 
  Lat., 
  a 
  diving 
  bird; 
  hol'boelli, 
  in 
  honor 
  of 
  C. 
  Holboell 
  

  

  Description. 
  Summer 
  plumage: 
  Upper 
  parts 
  glossy 
  greenish 
  black, 
  

   feathers 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  edged 
  with 
  grayish; 
  secondaries 
  white 
  with 
  black 
  

   shafts 
  and 
  brownish 
  tips 
  ; 
  throat 
  patch 
  and 
  side 
  of 
  head 
  white, 
  tinged 
  with 
  

   silvery 
  ash; 
  under 
  parts 
  silvery 
  white, 
  each 
  feather 
  with 
  a 
  dusky 
  shaft 
  

   and 
  terminal 
  spot, 
  producing 
  a 
  peculiar 
  dappled 
  appearance; 
  front 
  and 
  

   sides 
  of 
  neck 
  and 
  upper 
  breast 
  deep 
  brownish 
  red; 
  bill 
  black, 
  yellowish 
  at 
  

   base 
  of 
  lower 
  mandible; 
  iris 
  carmine; 
  crest 
  and 
  ruff 
  rather 
  inconspicuous. 
  

   Winter 
  adult 
  and 
  immature: 
  Crests 
  scarcely 
  discernible; 
  upper 
  parts 
  brown- 
  

   ish 
  black; 
  throat, 
  sides 
  of 
  head, 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  white, 
  mostly 
  without 
  

   spots; 
  front 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  neck, 
  and 
  sides 
  ashy; 
  bill 
  yellowish, 
  dusky 
  toward 
  

   tip. 
  

  

  