2 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



on riests made of mud and the old and broken reeds of the last 

 season ; these nests were very rudimentary in form, but in all 

 cases there was a slight depression in the centre where the eggs 

 rested, about six inches above the water. None of the nests had 

 more than five eggs, most of them' but four, which seemed to be 

 the usual number. The nests were so placed that they would 

 rise and fall with the water, as indeed is the case with all Grebes. 

 No other birds were breeding in the vicinity and the water around 

 the breeding ground was swarming with individuals which dived, 

 swam, or sunk themselves in the water so that nothing but their 

 curving necks and long sharp bills protruded above it. They 

 doubtless breed in many other lakes in Assiniboia and Alberta, 

 but no other breeding grounds are known to the writer. It is 

 claimed to be a summer resident of British Columbia by Streator 

 and Fannin, but neither of them cites a locality. 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Our specimens are a male and female taken at Indian Head, 

 Assiniboia, May i6th, 1892, by Spreadbdrough, Two sets of 

 eggs — four each — taken at Crane Lake, Assa., June i8th, 1894, 

 by the writer. 



II. COLYMBUS. LiNN^us. 



2. Red-necked Grebe. Holbcell's Grebe. 



Colymbus holbcsllii (Reinh.) Ridgw. 1884. 



This is a very widely distributed species and extends as a 

 straggler from Greenland (/Jrt/. Man) across the continent to the 

 North Pacific. It is a rare migrant in Nova Scotia (Downs); 

 occasionally seen in New Brunswick {^Chamberlain) ; large flocks 

 seen on Prince Edward Island, August 8th, 1888 {Macoun) ; Beau- 

 port, Quebec. {Dionne.) Seems to be common in Ontario, having 

 been taken at Ottawa iOtt. Nat.), at Mitchell's Bay, Lake 

 Huron {Saunders), and one taken from a flock of fifteen near 

 Plover Mills, Ont. {R. Elliott) Is a regular spring and fall visitor 

 in Ontario. {Mclllwraith.) 



This bird arrived in Prince of Wales Sound, Hudson Strait, 

 about June 20th, 1885, and was often seen during the summer. 

 (Payne.) Summer resident chiefly of the shallow fish-frequented 

 lakes of northern Manitoba. (Thompson.) Breeding in great 



