298 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
975. Podiceps minor (Linn.) 
Several specimens of the Little Grebe, all in full breed- 
ing plumage, were obtained in Kashmir in June, 1870. 
[G. H.-\ 
I am unable to discover any constant difference warrant- 
ing specific separation between our Indian and the European 
Little Grebe. 
With us this species breeds at very different seasons 
according to locality. In Kashmir they lay about the 
middle of May. Throughout the upper Panjab and the 
Doab, they chiefly lay in August and September. In 
Jhansi July seems the favourite month, and in the Niel- 
gherries, August. The nests are sometimes fixed to the 
branches of some water-overhanging tree, a couple of feet 
above the water, and are then made of twigs, grass, leaves, 
and weeds, but generally thej are mere masses of weeds 
and rush, founded on some tuft of water-grass, and little if 
at all above the water level. It is almost impossible to 
catch the old bird on the nest, and almost as difficult to 
surprise her so far as to make her leave the eggs uncovered. 
Almost invariably they are concealed by a layer of fresh wet 
weed ; I doubt whether the birds sit much during the day, 
as I have watched a pair that had a nest containing five 
(as it turned out) much incubated eggs, nearly a whole day, 
and found that they never left the comparatively open 
water in which they were feeding, for the dense rush in 
which we found the nest next morning, for more than five 
minutes at a time. The birds certainly did not see me, as 
I was completely hidden, and watching them through a 
pair of binoculars. I suspect that during the day the com- 
bined heat of the sun and the fermentation of the weeds is 
sufficient for incubation, and I have observed that some of 
the eggs (I presume those first laid), are always much more 
forward than others. Dr. Jerdon says they lay from five to 
eight eggs, but I have never seen or heard of any nest con- 
taining more than six eggs, and the number is almost 
invariably five. 
