﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  95 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  This 
  bird 
  called 
  also 
  Hell-diver, 
  Pink-eyed 
  diver, 
  Dipper, 
  

   and 
  Water- 
  witch, 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  migrant 
  in 
  every 
  county 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  A 
  

   few 
  remain 
  in 
  winter 
  on 
  our 
  lakes 
  and 
  rivers 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  open, 
  and 
  

   along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  it 
  is 
  fairly 
  common 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter. 
  

   In 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  it 
  is 
  perhaps 
  commoner 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  east, 
  

   and 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  in 
  April 
  and 
  in 
  early 
  November 
  each 
  year 
  it 
  is 
  fairly 
  

   abimdant. 
  According 
  to 
  Mr 
  Reinecke 
  of 
  Buffalo 
  and 
  Mr 
  Davison 
  of 
  Lock- 
  

   port, 
  it 
  has 
  bred 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  where 
  they 
  have 
  seen 
  the 
  

   old 
  birds 
  with 
  their 
  young, 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  seen 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  

   nor 
  any 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  collected 
  in 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  Migrations. 
  The 
  Horned 
  grebe 
  arrives 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  in 
  considerable 
  

   numbers 
  from 
  March 
  20 
  to 
  April 
  10. 
  After 
  acquiring 
  its 
  nuptial 
  plumage 
  

   it 
  passes 
  northward 
  to 
  breed, 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May. 
  By 
  the 
  loth 
  of 
  

   October 
  it 
  returns 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  is 
  quite 
  common 
  till 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  Novem- 
  

   ber 
  when 
  the 
  greater 
  number 
  has 
  passed 
  farther 
  south. 
  

  

  Haunts 
  and 
  habits. 
  This 
  grebe 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  all 
  the 
  lakes 
  and 
  larger 
  

   streams 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  on 
  salt 
  water 
  bays 
  and 
  sounds, 
  preferring 
  

   the 
  open 
  water 
  to 
  the 
  weedy 
  shallows. 
  It 
  swims 
  rapidly, 
  often 
  timing 
  its 
  

   exertions 
  with 
  a 
  peculiar 
  jerking 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  neck. 
  When 
  interested 
  

   or 
  excited 
  its 
  neck 
  is 
  fully 
  extended 
  with 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  its 
  head 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  

   to 
  the 
  straightened 
  neck, 
  and 
  the 
  body 
  nearly 
  submerged. 
  For 
  this 
  reason 
  

   it 
  is 
  almost 
  impossible 
  to 
  kill 
  a 
  grebe 
  by 
  gunshot 
  unless 
  it 
  chances 
  to 
  be 
  

   hit 
  in 
  the 
  head 
  or 
  neck. 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  believe 
  it 
  can 
  "dodge 
  the 
  flash 
  of 
  a 
  gun" 
  

   as 
  is 
  often 
  asserted, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  easy 
  range. 
  Even 
  when 
  black 
  powder 
  is 
  

   used, 
  the 
  bird 
  can 
  be 
  secured 
  with 
  any 
  good 
  gun 
  loaded 
  with 
  no. 
  10 
  shot 
  

   at 
  a 
  distance 
  from 
  6 
  to 
  8 
  rods. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  famous 
  diver 
  however. 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  

   seen 
  it 
  remain 
  under 
  water 
  for 
  three 
  minutes 
  and 
  cover 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  at 
  

   least 
  30 
  rods 
  at 
  one 
  dive. 
  It 
  is 
  somewhat 
  gregarious 
  in 
  migration 
  time, 
  

   when 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  20 
  or 
  30 
  grebes 
  may 
  often 
  be 
  seen 
  swimming 
  abreast 
  at 
  a 
  

   distance 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  rods 
  from 
  shore. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  possible 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  fishing 
  

   after 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  mergansers 
  when 
  in 
  this 
  formation, 
  one 
  individual 
  taking 
  

   more 
  easily 
  the 
  fish 
  which 
  escape 
  from 
  his 
  comrades. 
  Grebes 
  are 
  rarely 
  

  

  