THE LITTLE GREBE. 
441 
Order XVII. PYGOPODES. 
Family PODICIPIDiE. 
Genus TACHYBAPTES, Reich. 
780. TACHYBAPTES FLUVIATILIS. 
THE LITTLE GREBE. 
Colymbus fluviatilis, Timst. Orn. Brit. p. 3. Colymbus minor, Gm. Syst. Nat. 
i.p. 591. Colymbus philippensis, Bonn. Tahl. Encycl. et Mctli. Orn. i. p. 58, 
pi. 46. fig. 8. Podiceps philippensis, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 822 ; Bl. B. Burm. 
p. 166; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 512; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 702. 
Podiceps minor, Hume, S. F. i. p. 268; id. Nests and Eggs, p. 646; Hume 
and Henders. Lah. to Yarh. p. 298 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 193 ; Scidly, S. F. iv. 
p. 203 ; Hume Dav. S. F. yi. p. 490; Cripps, 8. F. vii. p. 313 ; Hume, S. F. 
viii. p. 115; Oates, S. F. viii. p. 168; Scidly, S. F. viii. p. 364; Oates, S. F. x. 
p 245. Tachybaptes fluviatilis. List Brit. Birds, Brit. Orn. Union, 
p. 204. 
Description. — Summer plumage. Crown, nape, hind neck, chin and lores 
blackish brown ; sides of the head and entire throat and sides of the neck 
rich chestnut-red ; upper parts generally blackish with a grey tinge ; 
primary-quills dark grey ; short secondaries white, margined externally 
with dark grey ; breast and flanks blackish grey ; rest of the underparts 
silvery grey tinged with dark grey. (Dresser.) 
In winter the chestnut-red on the head, throat and neck disappears ; the 
chin and throat are whitish, and the sides of the head and the lower throat 
are tinged with bufl" ; and the underparts become whiter. 
Bill black, the gape greenish yellow ; iris reddish brown ; legs and 
feet blackish, tinged with green and paler on the inside of the tarsus. 
Length about 9 inches, no tail, wing 4, tarsus 1*3, bill from gape I'l. 
The female is slightly larger. 
The Little Grebe is probably distributed over the whole of Burmah. I 
procured it at Thayetniyo, Prome and at numerous points in Southern 
Pegu. Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay got it at Tonghoo. Mr. Davison did not 
observe it in Tenasserim ; but this was obviously due to accident, for 
Mr. Davis obtained it at Thatone, where it was apparently very abundant. 
Mr. Blyth records it from Arrakan. 
It inhabits the whole of Europe, Africa and Asia, ranging down to 
Australia and New Zealand; but it is possible that T. novce-hollandics 
may prove to be a distinct species, notwithstanding that Prof. Schlegel and 
