464 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



tarsus 34-39, bill from feathers 18 (one 15)-21 (12 measured), $ 

 wing 94-103, bill 16-18.5. Primaries : 1st very small and hidden, 

 3rd longest, 4th as long or 1 mm. shorter, 2nd l^t shorter, rarely 

 as long, 5th 2-6 shorter, 6th 6-10 shorter, 7th 10-14 shorter ; 3rd 

 and 4th emarginated outer webs and 2nd and 3rd (sometimes 4th) 

 inner webs. Bill as Slavonian Grebe but shorter and comparatively 

 stouter. Rest of structure as in Great Crested Grebe. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) black, extreme tip whitish, gape and 

 skin at base of under mandible yellow-green ; (juv.) yellowish- horn ; 

 legs and feet greenish-black, inside tarsus and inner and middle 

 toes mostly dull olive-green ; iris red-brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — P. r. poggei (China) has finer 

 bill and is chestnut not black under back of eye ; P. r. japonicus 

 (Japan) is intermediate between last and typical form ; P. r. 

 philippensis (Philippines) is like poggei but has blacker upper -parts 

 and longer bill ; P. r. novcehollandice (Australia) has black throat, 

 chestnut sides of neck ; P. r. capensis (Africa, India, Persia, 

 Turkestan) has white bases to primaries and more white on second- 

 aries. Small size, comparatively thick bill, red throat and absence 

 of tippet in summer, and buff-brown fore-neck and flanks in winter 

 distinguish Little Grebe. 



Field -characters — Cannot be confused with any other Grebe. 

 Breeding plumage lacks tippet and crests ; fore -neck, cheek and 

 throat dark reddish-brown ; base of bill and gape bright yellowish- 

 green, Dingy brown and buff of winter plumage very distinct from 

 pure black and white of Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes, and 

 bird is rather smaller. Rippling trill uttered in spring as well as 

 " whit, whit " of alarm closely resemble calls of Black-neck, as 

 does hunger cry of young. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts still reaches on rivers as well as ponds 

 and lakes. Nest. — Similar to other Grebes : a heap of wet and 

 warm water -weeds in water, often under shelter of tree overhanging 

 water or in clump of giant rush. Eggs covered with weeds during 

 absence of parent. Eggs. — Usually 4 to 6, occasionally 7, while 8 

 and even 10 have been recorded, white or creamy when first laid 

 but later stained to sepia-brown, orange or deep red. Average of 

 100 British eggs, 37.8x26.2. Max.: 43x27.4 and 39.2x28.3. 

 Min. : 32.8x23.7 mm. Breeding -season. — Usually begins April, 

 but eggs recorded in March and even up to Sept., so probably more 

 than one brood reared at times. Incubation. — Shared by sexes. 

 Period estimated at 18-20 days (0. Lee) ; 20 days (Heinroth) ; 

 25 days (M. P. Tuck). 



Food. — Feathers only rarely recorded in stomach but pebbles not 

 infrequently ; fish, especially Sticklebacks (Gasterostei), while 

 Miller's Thumb (Cottus) has caused death by choking ; mollusca 

 (Lacuna, Rissoa, Bythinia, Littorina, Valvata, Planorbis, Limncea 

 and Paludina) ; insects, including coleoptera (Agabus, Pterostichus, 



