1420 



AMKRICAX I•()RI■:STk^• 



times nnstakcn for geese, but the flocks of loons never and these are swallowed with nuul, d.rticuhv The fish 



assume the characteristic wedge of the wild geese up nnrsnprl K,- ti,» i i i , ,' ' , 



Tu 1 • 1, , , , gccsi. aie pursued by the loon and spearcc beneath the water 



Though occasionally there may be a hundred or more ,i,e stron? webbed f^^t of ,1/ ,1 , ■ ,' 



birds in the flock, thev seem to ■•.•„■. nn,u;„„ f,.. ....,, ' '^™"^ '''''''"' ^^"^ °f "^^ '""' 'l'''^->"g -t at such 



birds in the flock, they seem to care nothing for each 

 others company but fly in scattered ranks. 



During the winter all loons are colored much alike, 

 being grayish above and white below but, during the 

 summer, they are quite ditYerent. There are only five 

 species of loons in the world, confined to the northern 



speed that the wing.s never iiave to be used unless the 



••.\LL ABOAKU" 



One young grebe Is just crawlinR onto its fatlier'.s hack anil the other is 

 making haste to follow him. 



half of the northern hemisphere, and only one of these, 

 the common loon, is often seen. It is black above, the 

 back sijotted with white, and there is a half ring of white 

 streaked across the neck. The underparts are white but 

 as it is seldom seen except on the water, the general im- 

 pression is that of a black bird about the size of a 

 goose but with a siiorter neck and a lunger bill. The bill 

 is very strong and sharply jiointed for it is used for 



0.\ THK nCSOM OK THK (AVI GA 

 A horned grebe on fayuga Lake in winter i>Iumage. 



spearing the fish u])on which the loon lives. The lisli 

 captured by the loon are usually small but some occa- 

 sionally weigh as much as a i)ound or even two pounds 



Photograph by A. D. DuBois 



A HOR.N'ED GREBE AT HO.ME 



.MI Krehcs Ijuil.l floating nests. from which they can slip readily into the 

 water and disappear. 



bird is wounded. The fish are never swallowed beneath 

 water but are brought to the surface and juggled about 

 until they can be swallowed head foremost. 



The loon ordinarily lays its two olive-brown spotted 

 eggs in a nuTe (K'liression on the shore, on a hummock 



Till-. "IIKI.I, DI\EK" 



lurwise known as the piedhilled grebe. Note the insignificant tail. 

 It is a graceful hini tin the water hut almost helpless on the land. 



