JiCHMOPHOETJS.— PODICIPES. 441 



1. ^chmophorus occidentalis. 



Podiceps occidentalis, Lawr. in Baird, Cassiu, & Lawr. Birds N. Amer. p. 894 \ 



JEchmophorus occidentalis, Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 179 ' ; Baird, Brewer, & 



Ridgway, Water-Birds N, Amer. ii. p, 421 ' ; A. 0. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. 



p. 1 * ; Grant, Cat, Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 551 = j Gates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. i, 



p. 138'. 



Podiceps clarkii, Lawr. in Baird, Cassin, & Lawr. Birds N. Amer. p. 895 '. 



JEchmophorus occidentalis clarkii, Baird, Brewer, & Ridgway, Water-Birds N. Amer. ii. p. 423 '. 



Supra brunneus, griseo marmoratus, plumis singulis griseo marginatis ; pileo colloque postico saturate griseo- 

 brunneis, crista nucbali vix evidente ; facie laterali et colli lateribus, cum corpore tofco subtus, serioeo- 

 albis, corporis lateribus brunneo marmoratim maculatis; tectricibus alarum dorso concoloribus ; remigibus 

 brunneis, intus graduatim albis ; secundariis albis, extus brunneo marginatis : rostro flavo, culmine efc 

 genyde virescentibus ; pedibus sordide cserulescenti-viridibus, intus nigris; soleis nigris, palmis medialiter 

 flavioanti-cameis ; iride aurantiaca, coccineo tincta. Long, tota circa 22-0, alse 7'9, culm. 2-9, tarsi 3-1. 

 (Descr. maris adulti ex Washoe Lake. Mus. nostr.) 



Ildb. Westeen North America ^, eastward to Manitoba, south to Central Mexico \ — 

 Mexico, Chihuahua {ClarJc '^ ^), Valley of Mexico {Le Strange ^), Chapala, Jalisco 

 {Eichardson ^), Laguna de Epatlan, Puebla {Ferrari-Perez ^). 



This is the largest of the Central-American Grebes. Mr. Dunn says that it nests 

 in vast numbers on Shoal Lake in Manitoba, breeding also in many other places in 

 the "Western United States. So far as we know, it is only a winter visitor to Central 

 America. 



In habits ^. occidentalis resembles the rest of the family, riding lightly on the 

 water with its neck upraised, and diving with extreme celerity. The nest, which is 

 said to be made of bulrushes, floats on the water, but is kept, by the stems of the 

 rooted plants to which it is fastened, from drifting away from its moorings ^. 



PODICIPES. 



Podiceps, Lath. Gen. Syn., Suppl. p. 294 (1787). 

 Podicipes, Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 502 (1898). 



We have followed Mr. Grant in his classification of the Grebes and in his recog- 

 nition of the extent of the genus Podicipes, though the variation in the shape of the 

 bill and the form of the tippet, in addition to other features assumed by the birds 

 during the breeding-season, have been regarded by several ornithologists as sufficient 

 for the separation of several genera or subgenera. None of the true Grebes show the 

 bristly feathers found in the members of the genus Podilynibus, nor have they such 

 a thick bill, though in other characters they resemble them. The bill is usually long, 

 straight, and pointed, though in a few instances upturned. 



The Grebes are universally distributed, except in the extreme Arctic Regions. 



BIOL. CENTE.-AMEB., Aves, Vol. III., April 19i]4. 



56 



