454 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



subterminal blackish -grey spots or marks ; vent grey-brown, feathers 

 down-like and tipped white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts 

 white ; primaries brown with black shafts, pale brown inner webs 

 and white bases, two innermost occasionally with small white tips ; 

 secondaries white, outer ones with varying amount of brown, two 

 outermost often mostly brown with small white tips, varying 

 number of middle ones pure white, inner ones white with black tips 

 and innermost black with white bases ; wing-coverts grey-brown, 

 innermost white, tipped black-brown. This plumage is acquired 

 by moult of body-feathers and tail but not of wing-feathers or 

 wing-coverts commencing Feb., sometimes complete by April but 



The Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus). Winter. 



summer feathers are often still growing as late as June and July. 

 Winter. — A complete moult takes place Aug.-Nov. (None actually 

 moulting wing-feathers available for examination.) Crown glossy 

 black but not so blue-black as summer ; neck browner black, on 

 each side of lower nape a white patch not quite meeting in centre 

 of back of neck, feathers of which have long brown -black tips and 

 white bases ; mantle and scapulars not so glossy as summer and 

 greyish edges rather more obscure ; no chestnut on sides of rump, 

 sides of breast or flanks, feathers being white, tipped black ; above 

 lores a greyish spot ; some feathers behind eye often more or less 

 rufous ; chin, cheeks up to eye, ear-coverts and upper -throat white 

 often with a few ill-defined blackish spots ; lower -throat pale brown, 

 feathers tipped white, occasionally whole throat white ; rest of 

 plumage as summer. 



Nestling. — Much like that of P. c. cristatus but chin and light 

 stripes of head tinged buff, light stripes of neck and upper -parts 

 narrower and greyish-white not buffish, general appearance of 

 upper -parts thus blacker than in P. c. cristatus but stripes though 

 narrow, clear and not obscured as in P. griseigena and P. nigricollis, 

 upper mandible with two transverse black bands, proximal one not 

 reaching cutting edge and neither on under mandible. 



Juvenile. — Much like adult winter but upper -parts browner, 



