RED-NECKED GREBE. 
3 
the weeds within a yard or two of where it had been lost sight of. There is little doubt that it had got 
entangled in this dense mass of twining water-plants, and, unable to free itself owing to the wmunds inflicted 
by the shot, had finally been drowned. This specimen proved exceedingly small, apparently not half the size 
of the bird figured in winter plumage; the pinion-feathers of the wing also wei’e very short, perhaps scaicely 
full-grown — so powerless, in faet, that it seemed a mystery how the juvenile had succeeded in making its way 
across the stormy seas from the nortliern lakes where the species is reported to breed. I did not take the 
weights of either the large or small bird, but the length of both is recorded and also the measurements of the 
wdngs, which may perhaps he of service in giving some idea as to the size of the two specimens. 
The immature bird on Plate I. was fifteen and a half inches in length, from tlie carpal joint to the end 
of the primaries five and a half inches, second joint of wing three and a quarter inches. The bird in 
winter plumage on Plate II. was twenty and a half inches in length, from the caiqial joint to the end of the 
primaries seven and a quarter inches, the second joint of wing four and a half inches. The upper and 
lower mandibles of the immature bird were both of a hrown-horn tint, which was lighter towards the 
point, and with bright yellow around the base ; the iris pale yellow ; the hare line between the eye and the base 
of the beak a brown flesh-tint. Legs a greyish-green tinge on the outside, and a paler tint of the same 
colour on the inner side ; webs clouded with yellowish spots or blotches. 
The Red-necked Grebe represented on Plate II., showing winter plumage and obtained off Shorehara 
after the gales of January 1881, was easily secured, but a very short time being spent in his pursuit. The 
bird was sighted swimming by itself about a quarter of a mile at sea, late in the afternoon, just as our punt had 
been turned to make for the shore. Paying little or no attention to the approach of our craft, the shoulder-gun 
was brought into use, as the heavy swell rolling towards the beach would have rendered the aim of the 
punt-gun very uncertain. Luckily the bird was turned over perfectly dead without a struggle, as had it 
dived there would probably have been no little difficulty in securing it in the broken water. This was a fine 
large bird, nearly as weighty as many of the Groat Crested Grebes I have met with in winter. The 
mandibles, which were strong and sharply pointed, were a pale brown or horn tint, lighter towards the point, 
the upper exhibiting a black line for about half its length, the base of both bright yellow. Iris a very pale 
straw- or lemon-yellow tint, streaked with lines like crystal, which rendered it almost colourless ; the base-line 
between the eye and the base of the beak a deep red flesh-tint. Legs a dark brownish green on the outside, a 
lighter shade on the inner side, and the w^ebs the same colours with pale yellow blotches diffused over them. 
I have met with hut few chances of making observations on the colouring of the eyes of this species in 
summer plumage, hut one fresh-killed bird having been examined. In this individual the iris was perfectly 
colourless, a pearly white with lines like crystal radiating from the pupil and giving a very brilliant appearance 
to the eye. 
The description of the colouring of the iris of the Red-necked Grebe by several writers is somewhat 
conflicting and decidedly at variance with my oAvn experience. In Gould’s ‘ Birds of Great Britain ’ we are 
told, where reference is made to the adults, that the “ irides are red ; ” and the same author states, “ The 
young bird of the year has neither the red neck nor the elongated head-feathers ; the throat is brownish ; 
irides brown. ” This is all at variance with the notes I made on the juvenile obtained on Breydon in 
August 1873 and figured on Plate I. “ The irides red ” is also the description given of the eyes of the 
adults 'in the fourth edition of Yarrell, and a still more recently published work refers to them as “ irides 
brownish red.” 
Mr. Gunn, of Norwich, who is well acquainted with this species, has just sent me word that on the 22nd 
of October, 1885, he received an adult female of the Red-necked Grebe, shot the previous day, and the eyes 
proved to be wliite. Over twenty years ago Mr. Gunn called attention to the colour of the eyes of this species 
in his notes to tlie ‘ Naturalist,’ vol. iii. page 30, published at Huddersfield in Eehruary 18G5, stating that the 
