BLACK-THROATED GREBE 35 
graph the nest, and found the eggs quite covered 
and invisible ; on removing tJie wet grass v^hich hid 
them, we saw there were six, all well browned and 
therefore presumably near hatching. Meanwhile the 
little birds swam about in great alarm, coming to 
within a few yards of us, and now and again uttering 
a prolonged shrill twitter which is the only note 
of the Grebe known to me. Hardly had we covered 
up the eggs again and left the nest, when the bird 
we took to be the female was back guarding her 
treasures. In swimming, both birds held their necks 
erect like miniature swans, not bent like a duck's, and 
the head and neck together appeared to be about 
equal in length to the body. 
HOARY-HEADED GREBE 
Poliocephalus poliocephalus poliocephalus 
The Hoary-headed Grebe is the same size as the 
Black-throated, but may be distinguished, especially 
in summer, by the white hair-like tips to the feathers 
on the top of the head and sides of the face, these 
giving the streaked greyish effect from which the 
bird's name has been given. In winter the plumage 
is paler than in the breeding-season. This is quite 
a common bird in Corio Bay in the months from 
May to September ; on calm days you may generally 
see a few of them swimming about a hundred yards 
from shore, north of Cowie's Creek, for instance. 
