02 LITTLE GREBE. Class II. 



to the end of the toes thirteen : the breadth fix- 

 teen. The head is thick let with feathers, thofe 

 on the cheeks, in old birds, are of a bright bay : 

 the top of the head, and whole upper fide of the 

 body, the neck and bread, are of a deep brown, 

 tinged with red : the greater quil-feathers dufky : 

 the interior webs of the lefTer white: the belly is afh 

 colored, mixed with a filvery white, and fome red : 

 the legs of a dirty green. 



The wings of this fpecies, as of all the other, 

 are (mall, and the legs placed far behind : fo that 

 they walk with great difficulty, and very feldom 

 fly. They truft their fafety to diving ; which they 

 do with great fwiftnefs, and continue long under 

 water. Their food is fifh, and water plants. This 

 Nest. bird is found in rivers, and other frefh waters. It 

 forms its neft near their banks, in the water -, but 

 without any fattening, fo that it rifes and falls as 

 that does. To make its neft it collects an amazing 

 quantity of grafs, water-plants, &c. It lays five 

 or fix white eggs \ and always covers them when 

 it quits the neft. It mould feem wonderful how 

 they are hatched, as the water rifes through the 

 neft, and keeps them wet ; but the natural warmth 

 of the bird bringing on a fermentation in the vege- 

 tables, which are full a foot thick, makes a hot 

 bed fit for the purpofe. 



GR. 



