24 GREBE. 



near Battle, in Sussex, in May. Is found also in the northern parts 

 of Europe, and in most is migratory ; in Germany, seen the whole 

 year through ; met with also in the temperate and hotter parts of 

 Siberia, and even in Iceland ; and the breast, with the feathers 

 attached, as well as that of the Greater crested Species, held in great 

 estimation. M. Bechstein informs us, that the female lays, in May, 

 three or four, and sometimes five, eggs, the size of those of a Dove, 

 of a pale smutty yellow, spotted with dull brown;* the nest made 

 of water plants, among the reeds, and close to the surface of the 

 water, as in the first described, and the time of sitting is three weeks : 

 the young take to the water as soon as hatched, and are sometimes 

 seen with part of the shell sticking upon their heads. The flesh of 

 this, as well as others of the Genus, although it is sometimes eaten, 

 is rank and unsavoury. We believe this bird to be the same, met with 

 by Bougainville, in Falkland Islands, under the name of the Diver 

 with Spectacles.f 



A. — Colymbus cristatus minor, Bris. vi. 42. t. 3. f. 2. Id. 8vo. ii. 3C9. Ind, Orn. ii. 



p. 781. 0. 

 Colymbus nigricans, Scop. i. No. 101. 



Ash-coloured Loon, Rail, 124? Will. Engl. 340. pi. 61. f. 4. 

 Eared Grebe, Gen. Syn. v. 286. 4. Var. A. 



In this bird the head is not so full of feathers, but has two short 

 tufts, one on each side of the hindhead ; plumage above fine brown, 

 beneath white, which passes back below the hindhead, where the 

 brown advances forwards; the sides of the head, and fore part of the 

 neck spotted with chestnut, and the sides with brown ; on the wings 

 a patch of white ; legs olive brown. 



This is probably a mere Variety of the other, if not in some 

 progressive stage of perfection, as, like the Greater crested Species, 

 it varies much at different periods of age. 



* 



The Orn. Diet, says, quite white. f Voy. p. 61. 



