PODICEPS GULARIS, Gould.

Black-throated Grebe.

Podiceps gularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 145.
Ung-bur-r-wa, Aborigines of Port Essington.

 

Tuts Grebe is very generally dispersed over the whole of the southern portion of Australia, where it inha-
bits the mouths of the larger rivers as well as the lagoons of the interior, its numbers being much aug-
mented during those seasons of rain which too unfrequently occur in those portions of Australia in which
our possessions have been chosen. Immature birds, either of this or a nearly allied species, have been sent
me from Port Essington ; future research alone will enable us to say how far to the north the range of this
species may extend. It clearly resembles the Podiceps minor of Europe, which however it exceeds in size,
and may moreover always be distinguished from it by the colouring of the throat and sides of the face being
constant.

The nest is a floating mass of weeds piled up in a rounded form, the top being just level with the surface
of the water ; the eggs are four or five in number, of a dirty yellowish white.

The food consists of small fish, mollusca, and insects of various kinds.

The sexes, as will be seen by the Plate, differ but little either in size or colour.

Crown of the head and nape of the neck deep blackish brown tinged with olive ; throat and sides of the
face black ; a mark of deep chestnut rises behind each eye and runs down the side of the neck; upper sur-
face deep blackish brown ; secondary wing-coverts tipped with white, forming a bar across the wing; lower
part of the neck, chest and under surface silvery grey merging into deep brown on the flanks ; bill greenish
grey, with a light ash-coloured spot at the extreme tip of the upper mandible ; sides of the upper mandible
from the tip to near the nostrils, and the tip of the lower mandible bluish grey ; base of both mandibles
yellowish grey; gape primrose-yellow ; irides lemon-yellow ; inner side of the tarsi yellowish grey, passing
into greenish grey on the outer side and feet.

In winter the markings of the head and neck disappear, and are replaced by a uniform tint of brown like
the remainder of the upper surface.

The Plate represents the two sexes, in their summer garb, of the natural size.

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