GREBE. 21 



Greater Loon, or Arsefoot, Will. Engl. 339. pi. 51. Edw. 3C0. f. 2. 

 Tippet Grebe, Gen. Syn. v. p. 283. Br. Zool. ii. No. 222. pi . 78. «./«/. 133. /</. 

 1812. ii. 134. A. pi. 23. f. 2. Bewick, ii. pi. in p. 147. 



THE above three sets of quotations are meant to discriminate 

 the three different stages of the Crested Grebe, and of which have 

 been made as many species, when in fact they are only one and the 

 same. The complete, and full aged, bird is nearly the size of a 

 Duck; length about two feet, and in breadth very little more; the 

 weight from two to three pounds. Bill two inches and three quarters 

 long, reddish flesh-colour, with a brown tip ; lore and irides crimson; 

 the head greatly enlarged with feathers, so as to make it appear 

 unnatural ; the feathers are much elongated on each side of the 

 hindhead, appearing like ears, and from thence rounded like a ruff" 

 to the under jaw ; colour black, except the middle, which is bright 

 ferruginous ; the neck behind, upper parts of the body, and wings 

 brown ; sides of the head, round the eyes, and under parts, from 

 chin to vent, silvery white, and in many a mixture of pale ferruginous 

 across the breast ; on the wings an oblique white bar; the inner ridge 

 of the wing is also white ; legs dusky. 



A bird in the second year has the feathers of the head greatly 

 enlarged, dusky, or black, with a mixture of red, chiefly in streaks, 

 the division into two beginning to appear, though incomplete; in 

 other parts of the plumage similar to the fully adult, but the colours 

 less brilliant. The young bird, of the first season, is somewhat less 

 than when full grown, and wants both crest and ruff"; the sides of 

 the neck striped downwards from the head, with a narrow line of 

 black and white ; in other respects the colours and marks agree. 



The female resembles most the male of the second year, weighing 

 less than two pounds, and about twenty inches in length. Bill light 

 flesh-colour; irides rufous brown ; feathers about the head scarce]} - 

 elongated; plumage above dusky, dashed with ash-colour; the lore 

 brown ; beneath it a stroke of small brown feathers, from mouth to 

 eye; the cheeks white, with a few black spots near the sides of the 



