RED-NECKED GREBE. 
495 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground near water, composed of grass, weeds, etc. Eggs, two or three in number, pointed oval 
in form, deep greenish-brown in color, spotted and blotched with very dark-brown. Dimensions from l'90x2‘90 to 2 - 00 
x3 00. 
HABITS. 
From reading Audubon’s account of the Black-throated Loon, one would expect it to 
occur, at least, occasionally on our coast; hut according to my experience, such is not a fact 
at present, for although I have examined hundreds of Loons in the flesh and in collections, 
and seen thousands living, I have yet to met with a single specimen taken on our coast, 
and it is with some hesitation that I admit it among our birds. It may, however, reach 
our western borders from the Pacific side, where it is. not at all rare. 
FAMLYII. PODICIPIDiE. THE GREBES. 
Bill , equal in length to head or shorter , and pointed. Legs and feet , long , with toes 
lobed. 
Members of this family have the neck rather short. The legs are placed far back in 
the body, so that the birds cannot stand in a perpendicular position with ease. Tail, rudi¬ 
mentary. Sternum, short and wide, with four marginal indentations. The young are cov¬ 
ered with down at birth and enter the water as soon as hatched. 
GENUS I, PODIOEPS. THE CRESTED GREBES. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, rather strong and usually shorter than head and not curved at tip. Head, ornamented with tufts and 
crests. Members of this genus are remarkable on account of the elongated feathers on head which are, however, only 
worn during the breeding season. There are three species within our limits. 
PODICEPS GBISEIGENA. 
Bed-necked. Grebe. 
Podiceps griseigena Gray, Gen.; 1855. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, large. Color. Adult. Above, black, glossed with greenish, with feathers of back 
edged with whitish and becoming brown on wing coverts and primaries. Secondaries, white tipped with brown. Neck, 
excepting above, deep brownish-red extending interruptedly on to breast, with a broad patch of silvery-ash on throat that 
extends up on sides of head and is edged with lighter. Beneath, silky-white, each feather having central line and termi¬ 
nal spot of dusky. Iris, red; bill, black and feet, greenish. Young, Dark-brown above, with the feathers slightly edged 
with whitish. Edge of wing and patch on secondaries, white. Silky-white beneath, with neck all around tinged with 
ashy and reddish. Iris, yellow; bill, brown, yellow at base. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Known by the large size and reddish neck, 
as Pennsylvania. 
Occurs in summer throughout the Arctic Regions, wintering as far south 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens. Length, 19’62; stretch, 3P50; wing, 7 - 00; tail, 1'55; bill, 2*00; tarsus, 2'53. Long¬ 
est specimen, 20'25; greatest extent of wing, 32‘25; longest wing, 7'60; tail, 1'65; bill, "210; tarsus, 2 , 40. Shortest speci¬ 
men, 19'00; smallest extent of wing, 29‘95; shortest wing, 6'40; tail, P55; bill, I‘90; tarsus, 2 - 30. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground in marshy places, composed of grass, weeds, etc. Eggs, eight to ten in number, oval in 
form, yellowish-white in color, covered with a white calcareous deposit. Dimensions from P35 x 2'00 to l’40x2-10. 
HABITS. 
The large Red-necked Grebes are found in autumn and winter, on the salt, land¬ 
locked waters of the coast of the New England and Middle States, and I have even seen 
them far out at sea, but they prefer the mouths of rivers. They are common as far south 
as Pennsylvania but occur to the Carolinas. These Grebes resemble the following species 
in general habits but breed in the Arctic Regions. 
