GREAT GREBE 317 



wherever a little space is allowed them, dropping 

 down to the ground, which reeked with blood and 

 offal, greedily snatching up whatever morsels they 

 could seize on, yet getting no stain or speck on their 

 delicate dress of lily-white and ethereal blue. 



On the open pampas their curiosity and anger 

 seem greatly excited at the appearance of a person 

 on foot ; no sooner has the Gull spied him than it 

 sweeps toward him with a rapid flight, uttering loud, 

 indignant screams that never fail to attract all of its 

 fellows within hearing distance. These all pass and re- 

 pass, hovering over the pedestrian's head, screaming 

 all the time as if highly incensed, and finally retire, 

 joining their voices in a kind of chorus and waving 

 their wings upwards in a slow, curious manner ; but 

 often enough, when they are almost out of sight, they 

 suddenly wheel about and hurry back screaming, 

 with fresh zeal, to go through the whole pretty but 

 annoying performance again. 



GREAT GREBE 



Mchmophorus nuxfor 



Above blackish; occipital crest divided, bronzy black; wide bar 

 across the wing white ; beneath white ; chin dark ashy ; neck, breast, 

 and sides of belly (in adult) more or less red ; bill yellowish, feet dark ; 

 length ai, wing 8 inches. 



This Grebe is called in the vernacular Macas 

 cornudo — ^the first word being the Indian generic 

 name for the Grebes, while cornudo signifies homed, 

 from the bird's habit of erecting, when excited, the 



