PODICEPS MINOR. 
Little Grebe or Dabchick. 
Colymhus minor, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 591. 
Helridicus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 594. 
Podiceps minor, Penn. Brit. Zool., vol. ii. p. 137. 
Helridicus, Penn. Brit. Zool., vol. ii. p. 138. 
— Jluviatilis, Bliss. Orn., vol. vi. p. 59. 
Every one must be familiar with the name of Dabchick ; for where is the person who has lived a country-life 
that has not heard it applied to the least of the British Grebes — the Podiceps minor ? The natural home of 
this well-known bird is the water ; and its whole structure is admirably adapted for obtaining its food and almost 
dwelling beneath the surface, its leaden body, impenetrable plumage, its apology for a tail, and flattened tarsi 
being all especially suited to this mode of life. With us it is a stationary bird ; for, whether it he summer 
or winter, it may always be found, merely changing from place to place, either from the severity of the season 
forcing it to leave the ice-covered waters for running rivers, or the approaching period of incubation inducing 
it to retire to the reedy nooks of meres and small ponds. To enumerate the portions of the British Islands 
in which the bird may be sought for would he superfluous, since it is universally dispersed ; but it is said to 
be less common in Scotland than in England ; still it is found as far north as the Orkneys ; in Ireland it is, 
I believe, as equally abundant as in England. In like manner the Dabchick is to be seen in all parts of the 
Continent ; hut I suspect that its European range is limited in a northerly direction ; for although it is 
an inhabitant of Sweden and Norway, countries further north will not he congenial to it. Strange to say, 
it is stated to be less common in Holland than in Switzerland. I have but little doubt that the same species 
also extends its range to India, China, and Japan, at all events. I have at this moment before me Grebes from 
all those countries, which are so like our bird that it would be ditiicult to separate them ; specimens from 
China and Japan, carrying the red of the neck and the dark upper plumage, have, however, their breasts more 
silvery than our bird. In the northern parts of Africa the Dabchick is certainly found ; and it would he 
difficult to point out, at least from dried skins, wherein the Little Grebe from South Africa differs ; the latter 
has, however, been regarded as distinct by Bonaparte, who has assigned to it the specific name of Capensis. 
Tlie xAustralian bird, to which I have given the name of australis, is undoubtedly different. 
I shall now proceed to describe the states of plumage assumed by the Dabchick at different periods of 
the year. In winter, when it is most usually seen, its dress is light olive-grey above and silvery white beneath, 
quite the opposite of that with which it is clothed ip summer. So remarkable is the difference, that many 
persons might be induced to regard them as distinct birds ; the ornithologist, however, is perfectly aware of 
these changes, and has no doubt of their identity. The nuptial or breeding-dress, in both sexes, is the same ; 
the feathers in this state are rich and silky in texture, and the colours harmonious and ornamental ; the 
general hue of the body is deep olive-black, except the chin, which is the colour of jet, and the sides and 
front of the neck, which are of the richest chestnut ; the bill is black, and the hare pai't of the gape is largely 
developed and of a beautiful greenish yellow. The bird, thus clothed, is all animation ; its loud ringing cry 
is often heard ; its nest is made, and the female is performing the task of incubation. The Dabchick at 
this particular season is extremely shy, especially if the nest he approached and intruded upon. I have 
frequently known the Dabchick to select small ponds, far away from the open river, for the purpose of nesting, 
their desire apparently being to be the sole occupants of a situation where they may find a plentiful supply of 
insect food for themselves and their progeny ; such ponds or mere water-holes must, however, be well 
supplied with aquatic plants, and their sides furnished with reeds, rushes, and similar herbage. Inde- 
pendently of such situations, they resort to the sedgy sides of all our rivers, meres, and large ponds. 
The month of April is the breeding-season ; and altbough the nest is frequently placed in an exposed situation, 
and always on the surface of tbe water, much artifice is displayed by the bird in this part of its economy ; so 
little of its floating nursery is seen above the water, and so similar is it to the surrounding vegetation, that 
it may and doubtless often is passed by without being discovered. The materials composing this raft or nest 
are weeds and aquatic plants carefully heaped together in a rounded form : it is very large at the base, and is 
so constantly added to, that a considerable portion of it becomes submerged, at the same time it is sufficiently 
buoyant to admit of its saucer-like hollow top being always above the surface ; in this wet depression five or 
six eggs are laid. The bird, always most alert, is still more so now, and never or scarcely ever admits of a 
near examination of the nest-making or of a view of the eggs. In faA^ourable situations, however, and 
with the aid of a telescope, the process may be watched ; and it is not a little interesting to notice with 
