THE BIOLOGICAL REVIEW. gi 



The individual variation of the seven specimens of neoxena 

 is so small as to merit notice; the rufous and chestnut of the 

 neck and wing varys only slightly, and some of the birds have 

 white feathers on the thighs and crissum, while others have 

 not, but this may be attributed to albinism. 



On the whole, when compared with exilis, Ardetta neoxena 

 is a very distinct species, and not known to interbreed. 



Through the kindness of Dr. Verner a couple of good photo- 

 graphs were taken of the group, with the exception of No. i, 

 which was not obtainable. 



Toronto. Hubert H. Brown. 



PODILYMBUS PODICEPS. 



When collecting on the Omemee River, County Victoria, 

 Ontario, June ist, I found large numbers of Pied-billed Grebes 

 breeding, and many of the nests were destroyed by the freshets 

 caused by the recent heavy rains. One nest however, I 

 managed to secure ; the contents were three young chicks in 

 the down, all of which took to the water at sight. After many 

 attempts to escape by diving, they were captured by lifting them 

 into the canoe on the paddle in an exhausted condition. 



Description : Age, possibly one day old ; forehead, a white 

 patch extending to base of bill and diverging to two white lines 

 running over each eye, these bounded on each side by black, 

 that next the lores being a very narrow line ; the crown black, 

 with a short, broad line over each eye white ; a triangular- 

 shaped patch of bright rufous on centre of crown ; the black of 

 the crown bounded posteriorly by two rufous marks, narrowing 

 in the centre and nearly meeting ; the cervix black, relieved in 

 the middle by two white lines converging on the occiput to a 

 sagittate mark of rufous ; lores, naked, pinkish white, ending in 

 a white stripe which runs to the occiput, meeting the two rufous 

 lines, thence down the sides of neck ; throat, white ; sides of 

 neck, white intersected by three black stripes, making about 

 equal proportions of black and white ; upper breast, greyish 

 black, mottled with indistinct white marks ; breast and abdo- 



