312 



THE RED-NECKED GREBE. 



PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, Lath. 



PLATE CCCCLXXX.— Male and Young. 



I have found this species along the coast from New York to Maine, in the 

 winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal number. 

 At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy, and among 

 the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already in their spring 

 plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one occasion our boat 

 was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived in search of food. On 

 emerging they were only a few yards distant; but, although several guns 

 were fired at them, they escaped unhurt, for they instantly dived again, 

 passed under the boat at the depth of about a yard, and did not rise until at a 

 safe distance. None of us could conceive how they had managed to elude 

 us, for as they were so near, the shot threw up the water in its course, and I 

 had expected to find them completely mangled. 



Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never 

 observed it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr. 

 Richardson states, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that it "is very com- 

 mon in the F.ur Countries, frequenting every lake with grassy borders." 

 M. Temminck sa} r s "that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and the borders of the 

 sea, but in greater number on fresh-waters; are tolerably common in different 

 parts of Europe; feed on small fish, fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and 

 vegetables; form their nests of the same materials, and place it in the same 

 situations as the Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs." An egg lent 

 me by my esteemed friend Mr. Yarrell, measured two inches in length by 

 one inch and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale greenish-white. 



Podiceps rubricollis, Bonap. Syn.. p. 417. 



Podiceps rubricollis, Red-necked Grebe, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 



411. 

 Red-necked Grebe, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 253. 

 Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps rubricollis , And. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 617; vol. v. p. 620. 



Male, ISf, 32. 



