66; 



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congregating into larger flocks." Mr. Hume, referring to its occurrence in Yarkand, says 

 (Lahore to Yarkand, p. 298) : — " With us this species breeds at very different seasons, according 

 to locality. In Kashmir they lay about the middle of May. Throughout the Upper Punjab 

 and the Doab they chiefly lay in August and September. In Jhansi July seems the favourite 

 month, and in the Nielgherries August. The nests are sometimes fixed to the branches of some 

 water-hanging tree, a couple of feet above the water, and are then made of twigs, grass, leaves, 

 and weeds; but generally they are mere masses of weeds and rush, founded on some tuft of 

 water-grass, and little, if at all, above the water-level. It is almost impossible to catch the old 

 bird on the nest, and almost as difficult to surprise her so far as to make her leave the eggs 

 uncovered. Almost invariably they are concealed by a layer of fresh wet weed ; I doubt 

 whether the birds sit much during the day, as I have watched a pair that had a nest containing 

 five (as it turned out) much incubated eggs, nearly a whole day, and found that they never left 

 the comparatively open water in which they were feeding, for the dense rush in which we found 

 the nest next morning, for more than five minutes at a time." Mr. Scully, who met with it in 

 Eastern Turkestan, says (Stray Feathers, iv. p. 203), that it was " observed at Kashgar in November 

 and December, and a specimen was preserved in the former month ; it was not numerous, and 

 frequented small unfrozen springs called Karasu. The bird was again noticed in a lake at 

 Sughuchak in June. The natives assert that the bird breeds near Yarkand, and call it 

 Cliumighak (the diver)." It ranges far east, is said to be very common in Upper Burmah, and 

 is met with throughout China to Japan ; but I do not find it recorded from Southern Siberia, 

 nor did Colonel Prjevalsky meet with it in Mongolia. 



The Little Grebe inhabits the Philippines, Java, Sumatra, the Celebes, the Moluccas, and 

 Timor; and it is also found in Australia, where, according to Gould (B. of Austr. ii. p. 513), "it 

 is very generally dispersed over the whole of the southern portion of the continent;" and it 

 doubtless occurs throughout Northern Australia in suitable localities, though he had no data 

 relative to its range there. I have not had. an opportunity of examining a specimen from 

 Australia ; but Professor Schlegel, who has compared several examples with his series from 

 other parts of Asia and Europe, unites them with Podiceps fluviatilis without the least hesita- 

 tion. Podiceps rufipectus, Gray (in Dieff. Trav. ii. App. p. 198, 1843), however, which replaces 

 our Little Grebe in New Zealand, is quite distinct from that species, and, like Podiceps nestor 

 from Australia, has the crown and upper sides of the head covered with white hair-like filaments 

 having the appearance of pencilled markings or streaks. 



In general habits the Little Grebe does not differ from its allies ; but in appearance it is 

 rather stouter and more thick-set than any of the other small Grebes. Although when well on 

 the wing it flies with considerable ease and speed, it appears to rise with difficulty into the air, 

 and does so consequently most unwillingly, and, as a rule, only on compulsion. Usually when 

 disturbed it prefers to seek safety by diving and hiding amongst the dense aquatic herbage whicli 

 covers the places it selects for its habitat. It not only frequents larger sheets of water, but is to 

 be met with also on quite small ponds, especially where there is plenty of cover. It swims well, 

 and is an especially good diver, disappearing under the surface of the water like a flash, and 

 remaining some time below. It is an extremely shy and wary bird ; and should any one appear 

 near its haunts, it immediately hides until the intruder leaves. As a rule, it is a very silent 



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