BTRDS-COLYMBIDAE—PODICEPS CRISTATUS. 
893 
The American bird has been separated from the Red-necked Grrebe of Europe by Reinhardt, 
under the name of Jiolbolli, principally on account of its being somewhat larger. On comparing 
specimens obtained here with European specimens of 11 rubricollis ,” ours appear somewhat 
larger, and generally with a longer bill ; but in this family individuals vary much in size. The 
bills of the specimens of “ rubi'icollis” from Europe measured L} inches ; in ours they ranged 
from If to 2 inches. 
Writers differ as to their being specifically distinct, and as I am not able to make out satis¬ 
factorily that they are so, shall for the present consider them the same. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. ; Collected by— 
No. 
Length. 
Wing. 
Coast of New York_ 
1841. 
S. F. Baird_ 
466 J. J. Audubon. 
Do. 
Cab. of Geo. N. Lawrence 
966 ... 
Coast of New Jersey_ 
_do___ 
965 . 
10400 
Selkirk Settlement, H.B.T. 
Spring dress __ 
Donald Gunn_ 
19. 50 
7.75 
PODICEPS CRISTATUS, Lath. 
The Crested Grebe. 
Colymbus cristatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 222. 
I’odiceps cristatus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 1790. —Rich. & Sw, F. B. A. II, 1831, 410 —Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 250. —Aud. 
Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 595 ; pi. 292 — Ib. Birds Am. VII, 1844, 308 ; pi. cccclxxix. 
Colymbus urinator, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 223. 
Sp. Ch. — Mult. Front, upper part of the head, and long occipital tufts dark umber brown, the base of the tufts brownish 
red ; the ruff is bright brownish red on the upper portion immediately under the tufts and anteriorly, on the hind part brownish 
black ; upper plumage dark umber brown ; humeral feathers white ; primaries umber brown ; secondaries mostly white ; throat 
and sides of the head white ; fore part and sides of the neck adjoining the ruff brownish red ; under plumage silvery white ; 
sides dusky, tinged with reddish brown ; bill blackish brown, tinged with carmine ; bare, loral space dusky green ; iris bright 
carmine ; tarsi and feet greenish black externally, greenish yellow internally ; webs greyish blue. 
Length, 23| inches ; wing, 7\ ; bill, 2^3- ; tarsus, 2|. 
Young. Upper part of head dark brown ; hind neck brownish grey ; back and wings brownish black ; humeral feathers 
white ; primaries dark umber brown on the outer webs, paler on the inner ; lower parts silvery white, sides brown ; upper 
mandible brownish black, pale at the end and yellow on the sides at the base ; lower mandible yellow with the sides dusky. 
Hah. —Atlantic States from Nova Scotia southward ; Texas in winter ; fur countries, Pacific side of the continent ; Wash- 
* 
ington Territory. 
Two specimens of the young are in the collection from Shoalwater hay, W. T. These have 
larger and stronger hills than the adult bird sent me by Prof. Baird from his cabinet, and of 
two adult specimens in my collection, in one specimen, No. 4499, measuring 2| inches along 
the ridge, the adult having it hut 2 T 1 T , (the measure given by Audubon is 2 inches) ; the 
outline of the lower mandible from the angle to the point is concave, whereas in the adult it is 
a little rounding, hut they have one of the strongest characteristics of this species, the white 
humeral feathers. It may, possibly, he a closely allied, but distinct species. This can only he 
satisfactorily determined by obtaining it in spring plumage. 
Both the above specimens were obtained by Dr. J. Gr. Cooper, and if future research should 
prove it to he distinct, I propose for it the specific name of cooperi, in honor of its discoverer. 
