made. The rowers from practice calculating the length of
time the chace has lasted, can tell very nearly whenever,
the bird dives how many strokes of the oars will bring the
boat near the place where it may be expected to rise, and
by giving out this notice and counting aloud, the interest is
kept up throughout the pursuit, till a fortunate shot gives
the fatal blow, when the prize is handed into the boat, and the
telescopes again put into requisition to find out a new victim.
The Great-crested . Grebe is found in Provencë; and - in
Italy. The Zoological Society have' received specimens* sent
by Keith Abbott, Esq. from Trebizond, Dr. Andrew Smith
brought examples from South Africa, and it is found in
several parts of Asia. Dr. Richardson found this bird during
summer on most of the lakes of the fur-countries of North
America, and the species is included in the histories of the
Birds , of the United States.
In the adult male the bill is brownish-red; the irides red *
the top of the head, and the elongated feathers of that portion
of the crest on the crown Of the head, rich dark brown;
the cheeks white; the long feather?"forming together .the
tippet, and part of the crest standing out from the'.sides Of
the neck are - reddish-chestnut at the base, becoming dark
chestnut at the en d ; the neck ,behind, as also the back,
wings, rump, and the short tuft-like tail, dark brown ; the
secondaries white, but this colour is little . seen unless the
wings are extended ; front Of neck, and all the undersurface
of the body delicate and shining silky white, from which, as
before mentioned, this species is • sometimes called the Satin
Grebe ; sides beneath the wing and the flanks pale chestnut-
brown ; legs and toes dark green on the outer flat surface,
lighter pale yellowish-green on the inner surface; the whole
length twenty-one to twenty-two inches. From the; carpal
joint to the end of the longest feathers eight inchès. Thé
crest is borne constantly throughout the years
Adult females do not differ much from old males, except
that they are not quite* so large in size; the crest is also a
little smaller, and the general colours of the whole plumage
less pure.
Young birds in their first winter, and during part of their
second year, have but small crests, and little or no reddish-
chestnut ‘colour. For some time after they are hatched the
young^hieks* hay^their bills mottled black and white: the
headRnd"'he®-'ornamented with long dark-stripes on a ground
colour of’ dull greyish-white; the upper Surface of the body
dark brown,-with longitudinal stripes"of light brown, the
wboleywnder surface white’. , The young bird figured below
was obtained in Norfolk.