LIFE HISXOEIES OF NOETH AMEEICAN DIVING BIEDS. 33 



fers to escape by diving or merely swinuning away at a moderate 

 speed, for it is not a shy species. It can, however, rise from the water 

 readily and fly quite swiftly. It swims easily and glides through the 

 water very smoothly, with scarcely a ripple. It can wholly or par- 

 tially submerge its body while swimming or it can dive like a flash. 

 When diving in deep water it often leaps into the air and plunges 

 straight down, as if to gain impetus in this way. It dives with its 

 wings closed and probably swims under water with only its feet in 

 use. It is less inclined to remain under water or skulk in the reeds 

 than the other small grebes, but prefers to come to the surface and 

 watch proceedings from a distance. In its spring plumage it can 

 easily be recognized by the slender shape of its head and neck, held 

 straight up, and by the long pointed crest, which is usually erected ; 

 the effect is entirely different from that produced by the round, 

 fluffy head of the horned grebe or the smooth head of the pied-bUled 

 grebe. Young birds in the fall might be recognized by the small 

 slender heads and necks, but this is not a very conspicuous char- 

 acter. 



In, addition to the love notes, mentioned under the courtship per- 

 formances, the eared grebe frequently indulges in a series of rasp- 

 ing, shrill calls and piercing cries. Yarrell (1871) says of the Euro- 

 pean bird: 



The note of this species is a soft wliistling 6i&, bib, and during the breeding 

 season like bide wide wide wide wide uttered quickly. 



Mr. Aretas A. Saunders writes to me in regard to its vocal powers : 



I have had a considerable acquaintance with this species in the past year but 

 have seldom heard a sound from it. Once, however, I observed a large flock of 

 fall migrants of this species on Sock Creek Lake, Powell County, Montana, and 

 these birds kept up a continual noise all the time. The note from a single 

 bird is a short, harsh, high-pitched call that sounds like wa-a-a. The sound 

 produced by the entire flock somewhat resembled the honking of a flock of snow 

 geese. This flock numbered about 175 birds. They kept in a body in the middle 

 of the lake and were not feeding. Why they kept up the continual clatter was 

 a mystery to me, and rather remarkable because the species is usually so silent. 



This species, as well as the western grebe, has suffered seriously 

 from market hunting for the millinery trade, notably in the lake 

 regions of Oregon and California, where thousands were shot every 

 week during the breeding season; they were tame and easUy killed. 

 The breasts were stripped off, dried, and shipped to New York, 

 where they were much in demand for ladies' hats, capes, and muffs. 

 The hunters realized about 20 cents for each skin, which brought 

 them in a handsome income. Fortunately this practice has been 

 stopped, in that locality at least, by the establishment of protected 

 reservations. There have been times in the past when the eggs of the 

 eared grebe were used largely for food. Its habit of nesting in 



