84 WATER BIRDS 



by the more exposed position and looser construction of 

 the nests of the American eared grebe, which results in 

 their destruction by storm. When this occurs, the home- 

 less bird nearly always invades another nest, and usually 

 the better made one of his larger neighbor. Frequently, 

 this results i:i a battle to the death for the possession of 

 the nest, but never, so far as I have observed, in a vic- 

 tory for the smaller bird. 



4. AMERICAN EARED GREBE. — Colymbus nigricollis 

 californicus. 



Family ■ The Grebes. 

 Length: 13.00. 

 Adults in Nuptial Plumage: Head, neck, and chest black; sides of 



head behind eyes with tuft-like patches of small buffy bvown 



feathers ; under parts silky white, washed with dusky on sides ; 



inner quills dusky ; eyes scarlet ; eyelids orange. 

 Downy Young : Top of head dusky, with white markings ; upper parts 



light brownish gray ; under parts white. 

 Geographical Distribution : Western North America from Guatemala to 



Great Slave Lake. East to Mississippi valley. 

 Breeding Range : Locally throughout above territory. 

 Breeding Season: Approximately, May 15 to August 1. 

 Nest : A mass of floating vegetation more or less matted together and 



woven to surrounding rushes ; in more open situations than that of 



the western grebe. 

 Eggs: 3 to 7 ; elliptical in shape ; bluish white, more or less soiled by 



dampness of nest. Size 1.75 X 1.19. 



This little Grebe breeds commonly in the inland 

 lakes, grassy ponds, and sloughs of California, Wash- 

 ington, Oregon, and Lower Canada. Dr. Jeffries tells 

 me that it also breeds somewhat sparingly in the slough 

 across the isthmus at Santa Catalina Islands, and I 

 found several individuals there, in nuptial plumage, in 



