THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Adult in winter. Everywhere paler on the upper-parts ; top of head grey, blackish on the 
hind-neck ; the hair-like plumes short on the forehead, longer on the hinder-face 
and sides of upper-neck ; throat pale grey. 
Nest. Very much like that of the preceding species. 
Eggs. Clutch four to six ; ground-colour when fresh pale green, covered with white 
chalky nodules. Axis, 39 ; diameter, 26 — 27. 
Breeding season. October (Swindells, Tasmania) to January (Campbell). 
Mr. Charles Belcher sends me the following notes : “ This bird must be looked 
on as a partial migrant, occurring in greater or less numbers from time to time 
in the same place. In the autumn it is numerous on some of the waters of Port 
Phillip, and on Lake Connewarre. In December, 1901, I found two nests, 
both with fresh eggs (one contained four and the other six), near the Geelong 
Race-course, in a swamp which that year was very fuU of water. The eggs 
were uncovered, which I have never seen in Podiceps novce-hollandice. They 
are covered all over with small nodules or lumps ; this is a certain means of 
distinguishing them. This bird has quite exceptional powers of flight for 
a Grebe. On one occasion, while duck shooting, in February, 1906, near 
Tongala, I saw in the distance a pair of birds flying very high and rapidly ; 
on firing, I brought down, to my intense surprise, an example of this species. 
In general this bird favours open waters on sea, lake, or river, as compared 
with the seclusion-loving P. novce-hollandice.” 
Dr. D’Ombrain,* writing from the Casterton District, Victoria, says : 
“ Both birds assisted in the building. The nest site was in the reeds, about 
5 yards from the end of the dam. The structure was of brown weeds growing 
in the water near the edge. The birds dived for the weeds, and on reappearing 
dived again, and came to the surface near the nest. Not much time was spent 
in placing the weed on the nest, and the birds then dived off the nest. Date 
8.11.03. On 10.11.03 nest completed.” 
The bird figured and described is a male, collected in Victoria in April, 1890. 
*Emu, IV., p. 161 (1905). 
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