92 
food is small fish, which are caught by 
diving; but they are said at times to eat 
vegetable production. We have dissected 
a great many of these birds, and have in- 
variably found the stomach distended with 
feathers, small seeds, and fish bones. 
Montagu observed the same in the red- 
necked species : and as his observations 
entirely agree with our own, we have 
transcribed his remarks. " Being struck 
with so singular an appearance, we care- 
fully washed and dried the contents of 
the stomach, and by that means discovered 
that the feathers had been collected from 
its own body. For what purpose could 
such a quantity have been swallowed, since 
few of the piscivorous birds disgorge the 
refuse like the Falcon tribe ? Such a 
quantity can scarcely be supposed to have 
been taken into the stomach in the act of 
cleaning and dressing its plumage, unless 
they had been long collecting, and were 
impassable ; many, indeed, were com- 
pletely comminuted, and fit to pass into 
the intestines/' 
The Crested Grebe is very rarely seen 
