195 
THE RED-NECKED GREBE. 
PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, Lath. ' 
PLATE OOOOLXXX.— Male and Young. 
I have found this species along the coast of New York to Maine, in the 
winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal number. 
At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy and among 
the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already in their spring 
plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one occasion our boat 
was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived in search of food. On 
emerging they were only a few yards distant ; but, although several guns 
were fired at them, they escaped unhurt, for they instantly dived again, 
passed under the boat at the depth of about a yard, and did not rise until at a 
safe distance. None of us could conceive how they had managed to elude 
us, for as they were so near, the shot threw up the water in its course, and 
I had expected to find them completely mangled. 
Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never 
observed it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr. 
Richardson states, in the Fauna Boreali- Americana, that it “ is very com- 
mon in the Fur Countries, frequenting every lake with grassy borders.’’ 
M. Temminck says “ that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and the borders of the 
sea, but in greater number on fresh-waters ; are tolerably common in different 
parts of Europe ; feed on small fish, fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and 
vegetables ; form their nests of the same materials, and place it in the same 
situations as the Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs.” An egg lent 
me by my esteemed friend Mr. Yarrell, measured two inches in length by 
one inch and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale greenish-white. 
Podiceps rubricollis, Bonap. Syn., p. 417. 
Podiceps rubricollis, Red-necked Grebe, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. 
ii. p. 411. 
Red-necked Grebe, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 253. 
Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps rubricollis, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 617 ; vol. v 
. p. 620. 
Male, 181, 32. 
