12 
COLYMBTDiE. 
May three or four eggs are to be found in the nest, in size 
and colour as represented in our plate. The parent birds are 
so much attached to the spot that contains their nest, that if 
either is wounded on the water by a shot, it returns immedi¬ 
ately to the nest and remains on the eggs until it dies. The 
young follow the parents on the water as soon as they come 
out of the shell, and soon learn to dive. 
The entire length of the Red-necked Grebe is seventeen 
inches and a half; the beak from the forehead one inch nine 
lines ; the tarsus two inches two lines; the wing, from the 
carpus to the tip, is seven inches two lines ; the tarsus in the 
Grebes is broad and flat like the blade of a knife, the toes 
and webs equally so, and covered with scales throughout. 
The plumage of the adult bird in the spring is as follows : 
the forehead, the top of the head, and the tuft are blackish- 
brown ; the throat is grey ; the back of the neck, and all 
the upper parts are blackish-grey; the front of the neck, 
the sides and upper part of the breast orange-brown, the 
under parts white ; some dusky streaks appear on the thighs; 
the secondary quills are white at their basal half. The 
beak is black, with the exception of the base, which is 
yellow. The eyes are red, the legs are black on their outer 
surface, and yellowish or oil-green on their inner side. 
The young birds of two years old have the throat white ; 
the top of the head, and back, and all the upper parts dusky ; 
the neck and breast are pale reddish, mixed with dusky and 
ferruginous ; the under parts more spotted with dusky on a 
white ground ; the base of the beak is oil-yellow. 
The effff figured 273 is that of the Red-necked Grebe. 
CO o 
