LITTLE GREBE. 



15 



the belly is pure white. The young of the first year 

 have the top of the head, the nape, and the upper 

 parts of the plumage of an ashy-brown, slightly tinged 

 with reddish : the throat is pure white : the sides of 

 the neck are of a pale ashy-red : the fore part of the 

 neck, the top of the breast, and the flank are of a 

 reddish- white of various shades : the belly is pure 

 white : the under mandible of the beak, and the 

 margin of the upper are ashy-yellow ; the rest of the 

 beak is brown : the irides are brown. 



Frequent the lakes, rivers, ponds, and fresh waters 

 of most parts of Europe, Asia, and America : in this 

 country they are very common, and are found even 

 in fish-ponds : they are frequently destroyed by pike 

 and other voracious fish : they seldom take wing, but 

 when alarmed, dive, and remain under water amongst 

 the reeds and other plants, with only the beak above 

 for respiration : they devour aquatic insects, coleoptera 

 particularly, and small fishes. Their nest is very large, 

 composed of a quantity of flags or other aquatic plants, 

 but is generally fastened to the reeds in order to prevent 

 its being carried away by sudden floods or currents. 

 The female lays five or six eggs, of an oblong shape 

 and dirty white colour : they are generally covered 

 with weeds, but notwithstanding this, they frequently 

 become the prey of the water-rat. A pair of these 

 birds were taken in a pond, on Chelsea Common, in 

 June 1805, with the nest and eggs. 



