POBICEPS MGRICOI
I am somewhat surprised that so many o f my brother naturalists should fall into the <
this bird a northern habitat; I question if Linnaeus ever saw it, and I believe that bis
reference to the Sclavonian Grebe of English authors. Yarrell adds to the confusku
bird is also found in the Falkland Islands and some parts o f the United States, whit
Under these circumstances, and with a doubt still remaining in my mind as to ii
P . auritus o f Linmens, I have no alternative but to follow Dr. Blasius, and adopt the speci
assigned to it by Brehm, retaining of c.<w«e the trivial name o f Eared Grebe, by whit
In the British Islands the mgricoUis has been more frequently killed in sow
although I know of mmcmwsm hwwmtt's in which it has been shot in the hitter seasos
birds are truly intere*ti»g*, &>y how varied and how differently adorned are the species of tl
of this wnmewhat limited family. Those persons who do not study ornithology as a wh
attention to the birds o f a single country, are not prepared for the fact that all our G
in this work under the one generic title o f Podiceps, are representatives of as many
species, and that in Australia the present bird is represented by the P . poliocephalus.
the P . gularis, and our Great Crested Grebe by the P . australis; in other countries, to
tatives occur. This will prepare my readers for the fact that these forms are very gene
being confined to the high northern latitudes, while others dwell in more temperate and
as is the case with the bird now before us. In England, which it visits annually, it fr
and eastern counties, rather than the northern; in Holland- and Germany it is not more
u s ; in some parts o f France, in Spain, and Italy it becomes more common ; while iu r
Morocco to Egypt, no water-bird can be more abundant, wherever meres and a;real
of water occur. Every one who has visited that country, and particularly Algeria U"-
and wide-spread distribution. Dr. Heuglin found it breeding in Egypt, and • be He
Algeria. The notes respecting this species by the latter gentleman 1 find so' >>•;■- --■•
apology for transcribing them.
“ Every here and there we m m * upon a nest o f the Little Grebe (Pe&etf* mmar). s
that o f the Great Crested Grebe erktf/u,r) 5 but it w*w rmihsr b*o* for Wtfc
build before the end o f Apr9, and tewed# had becr-i is;
aboil* a dutocft o f Hbr other, was not. a bad uw»wf»g>' take.
surrounded by '•&># whkm we lu » the g s w s %t. «eriwg p
colony o f fineed mw A.; ,-t object o f aw sewwhc
difference between tin* Eio-*'« -m- C w S b f m *er fhwbw -dba« »hue tb* ?•»:■ *as
throughout the Lake, are not vtebwty
any rookery. I t is also later ts Mfc a m m
though most contained their foal «8<«ap« o f taw .
Grebes, were raised on artificial isk't*. fmp*>.uriy ■ ■■■•.<• 0 ; u w ■
foundations rising from more than a yard under water. yfb .t ¥•» a *«$«r «MJbsr ■
vonicus, which appear to do duty for them in aiany collection*. ’A c. ■■;<•--- of
course, were in very fine plumage, but we were not a little putt&fed by 1 #«dden dis;
which had fallen dead within twenty yard:- o f us. At length, o<< out in ow
water, I detected the Water-Tortosses carrying off at great speed our wounded and dead
the streak o f blood through the water, at length seized one struggling with his capttu
tenacious a grasp that I hauled him on board along with the bird, and took care to w
collection. With this proof o f the carnivorous propensities o f the Water-Torto»-*-, 1
that the havoc in the nests o f Coots and Ducks may often lie attributed to tbk pita
Water-Tortoise and the Purple Gallinule the only ‘ oophagi ’ against whom tin:*- psftsr
in the struggle for perpetuating their species. A Water-Snake frequ-: •-> vp di* ;
and boldly drives off the rightful proprietor. An empty nest see»» w h* Mi