BLACK-THROATED GREBE. 
axillaries and under wing-coverts pure white ; “ Bill black, tip pearly-white ; iris 
orange, orbits yellow ; feet bluish-grey ” (T. Carter). Total length, 250 mm. ; 
culmen, 23 ; wing, 110 ; tarsus, 34. 
Adult female, breeding. Similar to the above. 
Adult male in winter. Differs from the adult in breeding plumage in having the top of the 
head, hind -neck, back, and wings dark ashy -grey ; the throat pure white, a tinge 
of buff on the sides of the neck, upper-breast and sides of body, lower flanks rufous- 
buff, the feathers tipped with grey ; tips of primaries grey. 
Adult female in winter. Similar to the above. 
Immature female (December 19th, 1899). Similar to the adult in winter, but differs in 
having longitudinal lines of brown and white on the sides of the head and neck ; 
forehead and a streak over the eye brown ; a white line above the eye which crosses 
the middle of the crown, where it is sandy-buff, and extends in a narrow streak on 
to the sides of the neck ; a white spot on each side of the nape ; a very narrow line of 
white from the hinder-part of the eye, which joins the one on the side of the crown ; a 
brown streak from behind the eye to the sides of the neck ; a white line from the 
hinder part of the eye, which unites with another on the cheeks and extends to the 
sides of the neck enclosing a patch of brown at the gape, which extends in a narrow 
line along the sides of the face ; a less distinct line of brown skirting the sides of the 
throat and extending backwards to the sides of the neck. 
Nestling in down. Upper-surface black, with numerous narrow lines of white which run 
horizontally from the hind-neck to the end of the body ; under-surface white ; crown 
of head and hind-neck black, as also two streaks on the sides of the neck and another 
on the fore-neck ; a small chestnut patch on the middle of the crown ; a rufous 
and white V-shaped line from the fore-part of the crown to the sides of the nape ; 
throat white, with three irregular lines of black running longitudinally on to the 
fore-neck. 
Nest. Constructed of rushes, weeds, etc., low down in the water, and always damp, and 
warmed by fermentation. Dimensions 12 in. by 6 to 12 deep ; egg cavity, 6 in. by 
2| deep. 
Eggs. Clutch five to eight ; usually nest-stained, which on being scraped off reveals a 
pale green ground-colour. Axis, 31 — 38 ; diameter, 24 — 26. 
Breeding season. September to October (Carter) ; to November (Belcher) ; to February 
(Rogers). 
Mr. Charles Belcher sends me the following notes : “ This bird is a local 
species, breeding almost wherever it is found. It frequents quiet, inlai;td waters, 
preferring small ponds and lakes in timbered country. From the middle of 
October to the end of November is the breeding season, south of the Dividing 
range. Six is the usual clutch, and they may at once be distinguished from 
those of the Podiceps poliocephalus by their very smooth surface, even if their 
slightly smaller size is not always to be relied on. The nest is usually placed 
about twenty yards out from the bank, and is easily detected by the practised 
eye, though the bird dives off the nest with such agility as almost invariably 
to escape notice ; she covers the eggs before diving.” 
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