348 PODIOIPITID^. 



coating of lime, which in some places gives the shell a roughened 

 appearance, the eggs however become quickly discoloured with the 

 decaying vegetable matter of which the nest is composed, and 

 before they are hatched often become of a reddish-brown tint. 

 Dimensions of a set taken in October 1883, are as foUows : — length 

 (A) 1-6 X 1-09 inch; (B) 1-62 x 1-07 inch; (C) 1 •65x1-08 inch; 

 (D) 1-55 X 1-05 inch. 



This species commences to breed in October and continues 

 during the three following months: 



Hah. Wide Bay District, Richmond and Clarence Rivers 

 Districts, New South Wales, Interior, Victoria and South 

 Australia, Tasmania, West and South-West Australia. (^Ramsay.') 



PODICEPS NOV^-HOLLANDI^, Stephen. 

 (P. gularis, Gould.) ' 



Black-throated Grebe. 

 Oould, Sandbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 667, p. 513. 



Unlike the preceding species, this Grebe is widely dispersed over 

 the whole continent of Australia, and is particularly abundant on 

 the swamps and lagoons of Victoria, and the inland waters of 

 New South Wales. The nest is similar to that of the preceding 

 species, being composed of sedges and other aquatic herbage, 

 and attached to a few reeds in the water ; they are often placed 

 within a few feet of each other. While sitting, the female covers 

 herself over with the oufer portions of the nest, her head and 

 neck alone being visible ; when leaving the nest, she covers 

 her eggs over, and dives at once, reappearing about ten or fifteen 

 yards away. During 1873 many nests of this species were 

 procured in a single afternoon from the Albert Park lake near 

 Melbourne. The eggs are bluish-white when first laid, thinly 

 coated with lime, but quickly becoming soiled with the wet and 

 decaying weeds of which the nest is formed. Eggs usually five 

 in number for a sitting, although six are occasionally found, they 



