272 
ANATID^;. 
THE GEEAT CEESTED GEEBE. 
Podiccjps cristatus. 
The Great Crested Grebe does not occur in Messrs Baikie 
and Heddle’s list of the birds of Orkney, but Thomas Edmond- 
ston mentions it as an occasional visitor to Shetland, where, 
however, I have seen it but once, viz., on the 14th of March 
1871, when I obtained a rather distant view of a pair upon the 
loch of Watley. Hearing soon afterwards that one of them 
liad been shot, 1 made enquiries, and found that the bird had 
been eaten, but as the feet were stEl lying about, it was easy 
to identify the species. 
THE EED-HECKED GEEBE. 
Pocliceps Tuhricollis. 
I have in my possession a good drawing of this bird by 
Thomas Edmondston, with the name Podiccps auritus beneath, 
in his own handvTiting, thus accountmg for the presence of 
that species in his list, and the exclusion of the Eed-necked 
Grebe. Proof is yet wanting that P. auritus ever occurs here, 
but the Eed-necked Grebe occasionally appears in autumn and 
spring. In February 1861 a first year’s female was washed 
ashore at Balta Sound ; but I was unable to procure another 
specimen, the birds being both scarce and shy. I havm seen 
them upon the lochs, but they seem to prefer salt water, keep- 
ing rather far from the shore^ It was said to be not uncommon 
in Mid Yell voe about the beginning of spring, but on my 
asking for a specimen, I received a bird of the species next to 
be described. 
