ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES. 



GREBES: Family Colymbidae. 



[HOLBOELL GREBE: Colymhm holboellu (Reinhardt).* 



The Holboell grebe occurs in winter along the Atlantic coast as far 

 south as Georgia and possibly Florida; there is no definite record of ita 

 occurrence in Alabama, but W. L. Bryant, of Bayou Labatre, r^>orts a 

 "large white diver" seen occasionally in winter in small numbers in 

 Mississippi Sound. Both the loon and the homed g:rebe are well known 

 to Mr. Bryant, so in all probability his record refers to the Holboell 

 grebe.] 



HORNED GREBE; HELL DIVER; LITTLE WHITE 

 DIVER: Colymbus auritiis Linnaeus. 



State records. — The homed grebe occurs as a common win- 

 ter visitor in Mississippi Sound and the larger bays along the 

 coast and as a rare visitor on the inland waters. In Missis- 

 sippi Sound near Bayou Labatre I saw it daily from Novem- 

 ber 12 to 26, 1915, usually in bunches of 3 to 5, but occasional- 

 ly in flocks of a dozen or more. On November 26 fully 50 

 birds were seen. Two pairs were seen in the Sourtd, also, on 

 December 4, 1916; two birds in Duckers Bay, near Mobile, 

 December 3, 1915, and one in Perdido Bay, December 8, 1915. 

 Mrs. Bessie R. Samuel, of Guntersville, has a mounted speci- 

 men taken on the Tennessee River in December, 1910, at 

 which time a number of others were seen. 



General habits. — Grebes are wonderful divers and can swim 

 for long distances under water, which habit has earned for 

 them the name of "hell-diver." The homed grebe, so called 

 from the tufts of feathers in the breeding plumage on each 

 side of the head, feeds chiefly in rather deep water, and, un- 

 like the pied-billed grebe, is rarely seen in shallow ponds or 

 bayous. For this reason it is sometimes known as "little salt- 

 water diver." It has a weak, high-pitched call, somewhat like 

 the mewing of a kitten. Being quite unsuspicious, many are 

 shot wantonly or for sport by thoughtless hunters. 



•Species in brackets and in smaller type are of hypothetical occurrence and therefor* 

 not included in the number of recognized birds of the State. 



