THE BLACK-NECKED GREBE. 459 



Denmark and through Germany south-east to Dobrogea, Caspian 

 Sea, and western Asia. In winter Mediterranean countries (Marocco 

 (where said to breed), Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt). Replaced by an 

 allied race in N. America, east Siberia, rare in Greenland and 

 casual Iceland, wintering farther south. 



PODICEPS NIGRICOLLIS. 



354. Podiceps nigricollis nigricollis Brehm. — THE BLACK- 

 NECKED GREBE. 



Podiceps nigricollis Brehm, Handb. Naturg. Vog. Deutschl., p. 963 

 (1831— E. Germany). 



Podiceps nigricollis C. L. Brehm, Yarrell, IV, p. 133 ; Podicipes nigricollis 

 C. L. Brehm, Saunders, p. 723. 



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

 crown and neck jet-black (feathers of crown somewhat elongated 

 and wedge-shaped being broader at tip than at base) ; mantle and 

 scapulars not quite so intensely black as crown ; back dark brown ; 

 centre of rump and upper tail-feathers black, sides of rump and 

 lower tail-feathers chestnut with black tips and some with white 

 bases ; chin and throat jet-black (feathers at sides somewhat 

 elongated) ; below and above back of eye through ear-coverts a 

 broad patch of golden-chestnut (feathers very narrow, long and of 

 silky texture) ; upper-breast with some mixture of white and a 

 little chestnut giving a mottled appearance ; sides of breast and 

 flanks chestnut and black, feathers being mostly chestnut with 

 black tips ; vent 

 pale brown, feathers 

 down -like and tipped 

 whitish or rufous- 

 buff ; whole of rest 

 of breast and belly 

 silky-white ; axilla- 

 ries and under wing- 

 coverts white ; pri- 

 maries brown with 

 black shafts and pale 

 brown inner webs and 

 white at extreme 

 base, 7th developed primary and sometimes 6th or even 5th tipped 

 white and with inner web mottled white, 8th and 9th same but some- 

 times with inner webs mostly white except at base, 10th mostly 

 white with some black at base of outer web, 11th same but often 

 with some black at tip (amount of white on inner primaries thus 

 varies) ; secondaries white, inner ones with more or less black at 

 tip and innermost entirely black ; all wing-coverts black-brown. 

 This plumage is acquired by moult of body-feathers and tail but 

 not of wing-feathers or wing-coverts Feb. to Mayl Winter. — A 

 complete moult including wings commences sometimes July, 



The Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps n. nigricollis), Winter. 



