It is mentioned in Professor Ansted’s list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey only.  There are two specimens in the Museum, both females or immature males, or, at all events, males which have not begun to assume their proper plumage after the summer change.

148.  LITTLE GREBE. Podiceps minor, Gmelin.  French, “Grebe castagneux.”—­The Little Grebe, or Dabchick, occurs occasionally in the Islands, mostly as an autumnal or winter visitant.  I have occasionally seen freshly-killed ones hanging up in the market in November; I have, however, never seen it alive or shot it in the Islands.  Mr. Couch, writing to me in December, 1876, told me that Mr. De Putron had told him that Little Grebes had bred in his pond in the Vale the summer before, and Mr. De Putron afterwards confirmed this; they can only breed there occasionally, however, as there were certainly none breeding there in 1878, when I was there.

The Little Grebe is included in Professor Ansted’s list, and marked by him as occurring in Guernsey only.  There are two specimens in the Museum and some eggs, which were said to be Guernsey, and probably were so, perhaps from the Vale Pond.

149.  EARED GREBE. Podiceps nigricollis, Sundeval.  French, “Grebe oreillard.”—­The Eared Grebe is an occasional autumnal visitant to the Islands, remaining on till the winter; it is never very numerous; in some years, however, it appears to visit the Islands in greater numbers than in others, as Mr. Couch mentions, at p. 4380 of the ‘Zoologist’ for 1875, that, amongst other grebes, four Eared Grebes were brought to him between the 4th and 13th of January.  I do not know, however, that it ever occurs at any time of year except the winter and autumn; and I have never seen a Channel Island specimen in breeding plumage, or even in a state of change.

The Eared Grebe is included in Professor Ansted’s list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey.  There is now no specimen in the Museum.

150.  SCALAVONIAN GREBE. Podiceps auritus, Linnaeus.  French, “Grebe cornu ou Esclavon.”—­The Sclavonian Grebe is a regular and rather numerous autumn and winter visitor to all the Islands.  In rough weather it may be seen fishing about the harbour at Guernsey when it can find any protection from the rough seas that so often rage all round the Island, and which drive it to seek shelter either about the harbour or some of the more protected bays.  I do not know that it has ever bred in the Islands, but there was a very fine specimen in full breeding-plumage at the late Mr. Mellish’s, which I often saw there; and, on subsequent inquiry from his son, Mr. William Mellish, he wrote in 1878 to me to say, “The Sclavonian Grebe was killed by my brother Alfred at Arnold’s Pond, just the other side of the Vale Church to the one on which you were.”  This Arnold’s Pond is the one I have so often mentioned before as Mr. De Putron’s.  I have not been able to ascertain the exact date at which this bird