The Eared Grebe. 201 



A female, killed at the end of May, has the tipper parts rather browner 

 than in the male. The tuft less brilliant. The sides and front of the neck 

 merely sooty, the dark colour not extending so low down on to the breast, and 

 being much mixed at the bottom with white and rufous. Hardly any chestnut-red 

 on the sides of the body. Generally it is duller coloured, as well as a rather 

 smaller bird than the male. 



In winter the bill is paler in colour. All trace of the chestnut colour dis- 

 appears from the plumage, as well as the elongated feathers on the head. Upper 

 parts generally blackish- grey with a brown cast, the forehead paler. Chin, sides 

 of the face from a little below the eye, throat, foreneck, and upper breast, become 

 white, but the front of the neck is closely marked with dusky. Immature birds 

 in winter are very similar. Total length about 12 inches. Wing about 5 inches. 



The iris is red (variously described as scarlet, and vermilion red and crim- 

 son), but one example is stated to have had it deep rich orange. Grebes are often 

 remarkable for the brilliancy of their irides. Thomas Forster, writing in 181 7, 

 gives " Fiery Bye " as a name for the present species. P. rollandi has a very- 

 beautiful iris, bright crimson, curiously veined with very narrow dark lines. 



Professor Coues has pointed out the great difference that exists between the 

 bill of this species and that of P. auritus. In the former the bill is rather stout, 

 much depressed, with the lateral outlines convex ; in the latter it is rather 

 slender, much compressed, with the lateral outlines concave. 



The " young in down are striped brown and black on the upper parts, and 

 white on the under parts" (Seebohm). 



Vol. VI. 2 G 



