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THE RED-NFXKED AND HOllNED GREBES. 
Dare not, "svhile thus engaged, with rude 
Assault to sever from her brood, 
And kill, or vvorse, disabled maim, 
Charg'd with her young, the anxious dam. 
*Tis vain ! The deadly shot is sped. 
And on the pool the dam outspread 
Floats lifeless ! From her shoulders flung 
In the death -throe, the orphan young 
Disperse, and seek, as best they can, 
Refuge from persecuting man ! 
Believing beast and fowl decreed 
By heav'n in man's behoof to bleed, 
The Muse nice feelings o'er-refin'd, 
Affects not ; but to duties kind 
Alive, the sympathetic heart 
Mourns with involuntary start ; 
Tlius rent affection's tender pledge, 
And holds such death a sacrilege ! 
The Red-necked Grebe is about eighteen inches long, 
and differs from the foregoing species in having the bill 
stouter, and differently coloured, and the body proportion- 
ately shorter and broader : it, too, has a crest on the head, 
with two elongated tufts, and a ruff on the cheeks and neck, 
the back of which, like the top of the head, are a rich dark 
brown, ahnost black, while the cheeks, chin, and throat 
are a fine bluish grey, the feathers mostly margined with 
white ; the back, wing coverts and rump, are dark brown, 
and the neck in front a fine chestnut red ; the sides under 
the wings, the flanks, and under tail coverts are greyish 
brown, and the lower part of the breast and belly silky 
white. 
It does not appear that the bird has been found breeding 
in any part of Britain, although in winter it is not more rare 
with us than the Crested Grebe, which it closely resembles 
in its habits. It is said to be common in the eastern parts 
of Europe, but of rare occurrence in the western. Ac- 
cording to Audubon, it is met with in the winter season 
from New York to Maine, and Dr. Richardson found it very 
common in the fur countries of North America. 
The Horned Grebe is about fourteen inches long ; it has 
two large light red occipital tufts, and an ample black raff ; 
the upper parts of the body are greyish black, the lower 
