CATALOGUE OF VERTEBRATES. 631 



Newark probably. Seldom ascend the Delaware very far, and 

 have never been seen by the author above Burlington, Burling- 

 ton county." 



Family RYNCHOPID-ffi. 



Skimmers. 



RHYNCHOPS, L. 

 R. nigra, L. Black Skimmer. Cutwater. Shearwater. 



Lower mandible longer than upper, compressed like a knife- 

 blade ; tail white, with middle feathers dusky ; secondaries 

 tipped with white ; in summer, forehead, sides of head and lower 

 parts white ; upper parts, &c., black ; base of bill, feet, <fec., 

 red ; in winter, black is more brownish, and there is a white 

 collar across hind-neck ; the young are buffy above. Length, 

 17 to 20 inches; wings, 15 inches; tail, 5J inches, forked about 

 a fifth of length. Upper mandible nearly 3 inches ; lower one, 

 3 to 4 inches. 



"Arrives off the coast in May, and remains during the sum- 

 mer. Breed mostly in Cape May county. They come from the 

 South in the spring, and return in August. Are very rarely 

 seen on the rivers, even near the mouths, where the water is 

 brackish. Never seen during the winter." 



ORDER PYGOPODES. 



Divers. 



Legs set far back ; feet webbed or lobed ; position of bird when 

 standing, nearly erect ; hind toe small ; wings small. 



Family PODICIPIDJE. 



Grebes. 



COLYMBUS, L. 



(Podiceps, Latham.) 



C. auritus, L. (P. cornutus, Gruel.) Horned Grebe. 



Bill slender, black, tipped with yellow, shorter than head ; 

 breast brownish red ; head black ; general color dark brown ; 



