T H E RED-NECKËD GREBE.
idieeps rubricollis, Red-necked G reb e,
Grèbe jou-gris,
P enn. Brit. Zool.v^llTi. p. 139.'
Mont jQrnith, l(^
B ewick, ii. p.169.
F lem. tfrifl An", p1. l-aW--—
Selby, Brit. Orni|h4r^||s‘ ii.»p. 392.
J enyns, Brit. Vert. p. 2§2,""
GcSed; Birds of Europe, pC^ii.
Temm. Man. d’Omith. vol. ii.'p. 720.
T he R e d -n e c k e d Grebe is not found in this country so
frequently as the Grebe last described^ it is, moreover, a
■winter visiter only, and with this further ■ difference, that
young birds of the year are of mucKmore frequent occurrence
than adult specimens. I t is easily distinguished, being
intermediate in size between the Great-crested Grebe and the
Homed, or Sclavóhïan Grebe, and differs from the other species
found in this country, in having a much longer and
stronger bill in proportion to the bulk of the bird, and the
base of the bill is mostly yellow; this species is also considered
to' be more decidedly marine in its habits. Like the
other Grebes it is an expert diver, and very difficult to obtain
when at sea, .or in other extensive waters where there is ample
space to exercise its powers. I t feeds on small fish and
aquatic insects. The stömaeh of one examined by Montagu
was found'to ;beffistended'with; its own feathers and small
seeds. ! I am not aware.of any reeprd of the Red-necked
, GrèÊe breeding in this country. T-he nest is described as
placed;, among - aquatic herbage and réed-s, being built of
similar decayed „materials ; an - egg, which' I obtained from
Hamburgh* is o f a dull white fcolour. tinged with; green;: two
inches -in length, by one inch and four lines in breadth.
Mr. W . Thompson- mentions :that: the Red-necked Grebe
has been taken at Belfast, and in different parts of Ireland.
I f has beep obtained in Cornwall, Devonshire, and Dorsetshire^
I t has.ibqyu killed more than, once in East Kent ;
la n d Mr. Joseph Clarke sent iM notice of one killed recently
- in Essex, near Saffron Walden, whio&as, now preserved in
the Museum there. Both old and . young; have, been killed
H n theffens of Cambridgeshire, and on the broads of Norfolk,
;^buC only in wintry® Mr. Selby .says -it is not uncommon in
winter on the .coasts of Northumberland- and Durham; and
Mr. Macgillivray mentions"having- obtained it in the Frith
of Forth. r - . - ■ ,
. M. Temminck states that this species'} is nowhere more
abundant ;than in Holstein. I t brééds. on the lakes of
Sweden; and I havé been,;favoured by Mr. Dann with the
^following notes from his own observations of its habits still
] ' farther north m that direction.. “ The Red-necked Grebe is
•1 common during, the breeding-season on many of the shallow
reedy lakes atffhe head of the Bothnian Gulf, particularly
between Pitea and Lulea. ' They seem, to be confined to
the vieinity of the coast of the Baltic. I have never met
von. III.