on a calm clay, when the surface of the lake is smooth,
they put off, and look out with telescopes for a large Grebe,
towards which the men row ; on their approach the bird
dives, and the boatmen pull with vigour in the direction the
bird has taken, in order to be near it when it comes up to
the surface to breathe. One of the shooters stations himself
in the bow of the boat, one at the stern, and the others are
one at each side, about the middle. At the commencement
of the pursuit, when the bird is strong, it frequently comes to
the surface of the water, out of shot, and has perhaps altered
its course, but a good look-out being kept by the shooters at
their different posts, the bird is soon descried, and the rowers
again urge the boat in chase ; the bird dives again, and is
again pursued, and on rising is perhaps shot at, but at too
great a distance to be effectual, and the bird dives again.
In this way the bird, partly exhausted by the necessity of
maintaining its exertion, and perhaps slightly wounded, is
unable to remain so long under water, but the boat is close
at hand, the exertion must be continued, and the Grebe
still rises and dives again with so much rapidity that several
unsuccessful shots are frequently made. The rowers from
practice 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
are again put into requisition to find out a new victim.
The adult male bird has the bill reddish horn-colour ; 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 feathers 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 end; 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 under surface 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
is from twenty-one to twenty-two inches. From the carpal
joint to the end of the longest feathers eight inches. The
crest is borne constantly throughout the year.
Females are not quite so large in size; the crest is also a
little smaller, and the general colours of the 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 chicks have their bills mottled black and white : the
bead and neck ornamented with long dark stripes on a
ground-colour of dull greyish-wliite; the upper surface of
the body dark brown, with longitudinal stripes of light
brown; the whole under surface white. A young bird of
this species is figured below.