PODICEPS POLI OCEPHALUS, Jard. and Selb.
Hoary-headed Grebe.

Podiceps poliocephalus, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. i. pl. 13.
Podiceps Nestor, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 145; and in Syn. Birds of
Wy-o0-da, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

Australia, Part I.

Dab-chick, Colonists of Swan River.

 

Tus species of Grebe is very abundantly dispersed over the inland waters of Van Diemen’s Land, and is
particularly common on the upper part of the river Derwent, where it may be seen during the winter sea-
son in flocks or mobs of from ten to thirty together, which separate into pairs on the approach of summer ;
I have also received it from Swan River, and observed it personally in the lagoons of New South Wales ; its

distribution therefore over all the southern portion of Australia may be said to be general. Like the Pod-

ceps gularis, it constructs a flat nest of aquatic plants, which may be seen floating on the central portions of

the lagoons, not unfrequently within a few yards of the land. The eggs are of a dirty white colour, and

four or five in number.

Its powers of diving, notwithstanding its bushy head, are quite equal to those of the other members of

the genus, and its food and general economy are as a matter of course strictly similar.

The lengthened hair-like plumes which ornament the face are doubtless merely assumed during the
breeding-season, for I have frequently observed specimens in which this character was wholly absent, and
not unfrequently others in which it was only partially developed ; ignorance of these changes was the cause
of my applying the name of Nestor to this species, which had previously received the very appropriate ap-
pellation of polocephalus : this error will, however, I feel assured, be readily excused by all those who compare

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the bird with the plate in the ‘ Ornithological Illustrations,” where it is represented in a state of change,
and I now take this opportunity of restoring the first name, and placing my own in the rank of a synonym.

The sexes are both adorned with the plumes on the head, and are moreover so nearly alike both in size
and in colour that dissection is necessary to distinguish them.

In the breeding-season the head is black, with the forehead and sides of the face beset with long fine
hair-like white plumes ; all the upper surface and wings brown; base of the primaries and the whole of the
secondaries white; under surface silvery grey, tinged with brown on the flanks ; bill olive-black with the
tip white ; irides blackish olive with a very fine circle of yellow near the pupil, and the olive beautifully
marked with a darker tint resembling lace-work ; lores reddish flesh-colour ; feet olive, tinged with yellow
on the inner side.

After the breeding-season is over the head becomes brown, the white plumes disappear, and the throat
becomes buff.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

tC hMullanavled Like.

ot teenatel amd MA hachter hed 0h bith,