283 
1879* 
Podilymbus podieeps. 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
(Oct.6) 
hazel,, the naked snik around the eye yellov;. The stom¬ 
achs contained the usual balls of feathers. That of 
one in addition a nearly perfect and undigested fish 
about two inches long; of the other fragments of what 
I took to be small mussel shells. 
“ 10.^ 
Saw no loss than eight of these pretty little 
Greebes on Concord River. Throe wore in sight at one 
time. Most of them v/ere shy and took to diving before 
wo got within range. When not apprehensive of danger 
they float high on the v/ator and look larger than they 
really are. One which wo saw some distance ahead sail¬ 
ing in mid-stream, dove and did not appear again. Oppo¬ 
site the spot was a dense grov^th of button bushes grow¬ 
ing in shallow water. Suspecting that the bird had 
sought shelter among them I paddled quietly along the 
edge scanning every inch of water. At length I discov¬ 
ered the little follow within two yards of me. His 
body was not submerged but it vras flattened on the ?/ater 
and his head and neck stretched out level on the surface. 
Under the shade of the overhanging foliage ho looked like 
a withered lily-pad, only the tv/inkle of his bright eye 
betraying him. As long as I continued paddling ho re¬ 
mained motionless but after we had passed stopped 
and turned my head quickly v;hen he instantly dove 
leaving scarcely a ripple, * 
1880. 
Oet. 29. 
Two on Concord River, looming on upn the surface 
as large as black Ducks, 
1881. 
Oct. 22. 
Two of these Greebes have haunted the River in 
front of the house for the oast two weeks. They can be 
seen at any hour of the day floating in mid-stream or di¬ 
ving near the beds of v;eeds. At a distance they look as 
large as Ducks but vrhen approached sink lower and lower 
until only the head and nock are visible. Further down 
the river, I came upon two others to-day. One of them 
rose vdth a large fish held crossv/ise in his bill and 
apparently tried to swallow it but its companion pressed 
xt so closely, attempting to steal the prize, that it was 
prevented from doing so for sometime during which the pur- 
suer and pursued skurried over the surface, half swimming 
naif flying, and constantly doubling and turning. 
1882. 
Sept.28. 
Numbers on Concord River, sly and wary as usual 
floating buoyantly on the water whera at a distance, show¬ 
ing only their necks as we approached, and finally sink¬ 
ing beneath the surface and aftervmrds raising only their 
heads to watch us as we passed. 
