I 



THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 449 



Genus PODICEPS Lath. 



Podiceps Latham, Gen. Synops. Suppl. I, p. 294 (1787 — Type by 

 subsequent designation, of Gray, 1840, P. cristatus). 



Culmen very little curved downwards, or straight and even 

 very slightly upwards. Tarsus shorter than middle claw with toe. 

 Feathers on fore -head normal. Secondaries little shorter than 

 primaries or equal. Eggs unspotted with chalky covering. Nest 

 floating mass of water-plants and mud. About 15 species, of which 

 5 British. 



Key to species of genus Podiceps. 



{With elongated feathers on crown or sides 

 of head or with rufous on neck . 2 

 Without elongated feathers on head, neck 

 white or grey 3 



r Throat and lower part of fore-neck white P. cristatus, ad. summer, p. 449 

 Throat grey, fore -neck rufous . . P. griseigena, ad. summer, p. 456 

 Throat and neck black . . . P. auritus, ad. summer, p. 453 



Throat black, jugulum rufous . . P. nigricollis, ad. summer, p. 459> 

 Throat and fore -neck rufous, chin and 



crop blackish P. ruficollis, ad. summer, p. 462 



Wing under 110 mm P. ruficollis, winter & juv., p. 463 



Wing over 100 but under 155 . . 4 

 ^ Wing over 155 5 



{Inner primaries white, culmen straight or 

 slightly turned upwards . . .P. nigricollis, winter & juv., p. 460 

 Inner primaries mostly or quite brown, 

 culmen slightly curved downwards P. auritus, winter & juv., p. 454 

 {Bill 45-55 mm., small coverts along 

 humerus white, whitish spot on lores P. cristatus, winter & juv., p. 450 

 Bill 35-45, small coverts along humerus 

 brown, lores brown without white spot P.griseigena,-winter & juv., p. 457 



PODICEPS CRISTATUS 



351. Podiceps cristatus cristatus (L.) — THE GREAT CRESTED 

 GREBE. 



Colymbus cristatus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 135 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Podiceps rostratus Mansell-Pleydell, Orn. & Conch. Dorset, p. 47 (1874, 



Dorset— Ex Yarrell MS). 



Podiceps cristatus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 117 ; Podicipes cristatus 



(Linnseus), Saunders, p. 717. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Summer. — Fore-head, 

 crown, upper -part of neck, two tufts of elongated feathers on each 

 side of crown and lower feathers of " tippet " of elongated feathers 

 all round base of skull and upper -throat black, basal part of 

 feathers of nape and of outer feathers of tufts and upper ones of 

 " tippet " chestnut as the feathers adjoining on ear-coverts and 

 throat (elongated feathers of tufts on sides of head and " tippet " 

 of loose structure, those of tufts when fu 1 ! grown $ 40-45, $ 30-40 

 mm. long) ; chin, lores, cheeks, behind eyes and narrow line above 

 eyes white (through centre of lores a line of naked skin, feathers on 



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