4 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
and July, he secured both eggs and young, the latter newly hatched. 
This species is recorded by Mr. E. A. Samuels as nesting in more north¬ 
ern latitudes than New England. The Horned Grebe is an irregular 
sojourner, in Pennsylvania, from the middle of October until early in 
April. In the months of March and April this Diver is usually more 
numerous than at other times during its residence with us. Although 
generally observed singly or in pairs, and sometimes in parties of four, 
five or six, I have seen, on three occasions, in the past ten years, flocks 
numbering from twelve to twenty-five of these birds, during the spring 
migrations, on the Susquehanna, Lehigh and Delaware rivers. Dr. 
Walter Van Fleet and Burgess J. H. Ferguson, both of Benovo, Clinton 
county (Pa.), recently informed me that in the latter part of March or 
early in April, 1884, large numbers of Horned Grebes appeared in vari¬ 
ous streams and ponds in central Pennsylvania, and remained for two 
or three days before passing northward. Mr. Ferguson says there were 
at least two hundred Grebes in the river at Benovo, where many were 
killed by gunners. In a small pool, less than one rod across, Dr. Yan 
Fleet secured over twenty. Audubon, writing of the food of Horned 
Grebe, says: “ I have observed in the stomachs of almost all that I 
have examined, a quantity of hair-like substances rolled together like 
the pellets of owls, but have not ascertained whether or not these masses 
are disgorged. * * * * The food of this species, while on salt 
water, is composed of shrimps, small fishes, and minute Crustacea. 
While on fresh water, they procure insects, leeches, small frogs, tad¬ 
poles, and aquatic lizards; they also pick up the seeds of grasses.” 
The stomach-contents of nine of these birds which I have examined con¬ 
sisted mainly of sand, remains of fish, beetles and frogs and portions of 
green-colored aquatic plants. In the stomachs of three specimens I 
have found, in addition to other food-stuffs, small ball-like masses of 
feathers. 
Genus PODILYMBUS Lesson. 
Podilymbus podiceps (Linn.). 
Pied-billed Grebe; Little Dipper; Little Pish Duck ; Hell Diver. 
Description. 
Adult. —Bill thick, shorter than head and higher than wide ; bristly frontal feath¬ 
ers ; no conspicuous tufts or crests ; broad naked loral space ; bill (dried specimen) 
bluish white, culmen dusky and both mandibles crossed with black band, upper 
parts dark brown, darkest on head and back ; chin and throat with a long showy 
black patch ; sides of head and neck brownish-gray ; primaries brownish-ash ; sec¬ 
ondaries grayish and white; lower part of neck in front and upper part of breast 
yellowish-brown, more or less spotted or barred with black on upper portion of 
breast; sides darker with more or less yellowish brown; lower part of breast and 
abdomen satiny-white ; iris brown ; tarsi and feet (dried specimen) brownish. 
Young. Bill (dried specimen) brownish without black band ; chin and throat pure 
white ; neck in front and on sides rusty mixed with white ; sides of head brownish 
