630 THE HORNED GREBE. 



No. 315. 



HORNED GREBE. 



A. O. U. No. 3. Colymbus auritus Linn. 



Description. — Adult in nuptial plumage: Forehead and crown, with throat 

 and sides of head around on nape, sooty black, deepening and becoming glossy 

 posteriorly; area included by these patches (lores and sides of crown) buffy och- 

 raceous, changing to rufous on lores and the short dense occipital crest ; neck in 

 front and on sides and fore-breast rich cinnamon-rufous, shading on breast into 

 the satiny white of belly; sides (well up under wing), and flank patches tinged 

 with rufous and overlaid with some dusky ; upper parts grayish black, becoming 

 grayish brown on wings and varied by some edging of lighter grayish brown ; 

 primaries clear light brown ; secondaries mostly white, forming a quasi speculum ; 

 bill black with yellow on lower mandible and tip ; feet dusky externally, in- 

 ternally mostly yellow. Adult in winter and immature : No rufous anywhere ; 

 above uniform grayish black ; below, including sides of head, pure white, some- 

 times tinged on neck and fore-breast with ashy brown ; sparingly dusky-shaded 

 on sides; bill with less black. Length 12.50-15.00 (317.5-381.) ; av. of six O. S. 

 U. specimens: wing 5.37 (136.4) ; bill .93 (23.6), depth at base .32 (8.1) ; tarsus 

 1.82 (46.2). 



Recognition Marks. — Teal size; breeding plumage with black and red on 

 head (especially red lores) distinctive for size; slender bill; the pure white of 

 throat and sides of head contrasting with blackish above affords the best field mark 

 in winter. 



Nest, of half-submerged or floating vegetation, usually anchored to reeds 

 growing in swamp water. Eggs, 2-7, elongated oval, pale bluish white, but 

 usually more or less discolored by nest. Av. size, 1.75 x 1.18 (44.5 x 30.). 



General Range. — Northern hemisphere ; breeds from northern United States 

 northward. 



Range in Oliio. — Common migrant. Of casual occurrence in winter, ac- 

 cording to openness of season, in central and southern Ohio. 



IT is the sixth day of October. Six dainty Grebes are dancing before 

 me on the gently ruffled surface of the water-works ]D0«d. I am within thirty 

 feet of them and in plain sight, altho my line of approach was concealed by the 

 sloping parapet. The one desire of the visitors seems to be to sleep. They 

 probably dropped down just before sunrise to rest after the long night passage 

 from the Georgian Bay. In sleeping they draw the head back and settle it 

 between the shoulders, thrusting the bill down precisely to the right. Now 

 and then one lifts its head and describes a wary circle of reconnaisance, but is 

 soon reassured and resumes its slumbers. While taking these cat naps in my 

 presence they swim and whirl automatically and maintain their general position, 

 as tho gifted with a double consciousness. There are five males in company with 

 one female, and the white of their breasts and throats ghstens purely in the 



