THE HORNED GREBE. 317 



adopted has to be disproved, I here repeat that I have seen flocks of Grebes 

 on wing and migrating high in the air, apparently with as much ease as 

 manj- longer-winged birds, and with considerable velocity. 



Towards evening, on the 14th of October, 1820, I was floating in a small 

 boat on the Ohio. The weather was perfectly calm, and I was startled by a 

 whistling sound over head, resembling that of a Hawk stooping on its prey, 

 when, on looking up, I saw a flock of Grebes, about thirty in number, 

 gliding towards the water as if about to alight within a quarter of a mile 

 from me. In a few minutes they had come within a few yards of the 

 surface of the water, when suddenly checking their speed, they pursued 

 their course until out of sight; but in a short time I saw them returning 

 towards me, and in less than a minute they all passed at a distance of forty 

 or fifty yards, took a round and alighted pell-mell. The next moment, they 

 were all engaged in washing and trimming themselves, in the manner ! of 

 Ducks, Cormorants, and other aquatic birds. As I rowed towards them, they 

 scarcely took notice of me, so that they were easily approached; and finding a 

 number of them close together, I fired and killed four. The rest paddled off 

 for some yards, rose on wing, and flew down the stream in a pretty close 

 body, looking as if not disposed to settle again for some time. On picking 

 up the dead birds, I found them to be of the present species, three being- 

 young, the other an adult with the winter plumage beginning to appear. 

 Here I may remark, that Grebes in general do not moult so early as most 

 other birds after they have young; thus the Crested Grebe often passes to 

 the south in September, with its head still adorned with a large portion of 

 the feathers of its spring and summer tippet. While residing at different 

 places on the Ohio, I have many times witnessed the passage of the Horned 

 and the Crested. 



The Horned Grebe is abundant during autumn and winter on the large 

 rivers or inlets of the Southern States, but rare along the coasts of the 

 Middle and Eastern Districts. On the rivers about Charleston in South 

 Carolina it is seen at those seasons in considerable numbers, although not in 

 larger flocks than from four to seven individuals. The same is observable 

 from that place to the mouths of the Mississippi. It is particularly fond of 

 those streams of which the borders are overgrown by rank sedges and otber 

 plants, and are subject to the influx of the tide. In such places they enjoy 

 greater security while searching for their food than in ponds, to which, 

 however, they for the most part retire at the approach of the pairing season, 

 which commences early in February. At that time one might be apt to 

 think that these birds could scarcely fly, as they are then rarely seen on 

 wing; but when they are pursued, and there happens to be a breeze, they 

 rise from the water with considerable ease, and fly to a distance of several 



