444 



THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



Wisconsin are in the nmseum of the Smithsonian Institution. Tliey are essentially 

 like all the eggs of this genus in shape and colors, and vary greatly in size. Two 

 eggs in my own collection, from Wisconsin, measure, one 1.92 inches in length by 

 1.20 in breadth, the other 1.G8 by 1.20 ; while one from Duenas, Guatemala, measures 

 1.63 by 1.18. 



Family UEINATORIDiE. — The Loons. 



Char. Swimming birds, with the feet situated far back, a well developed hallux, 

 the anterior toes completely webbed and normally clawed ; the bill straight, acute, 

 compressed, the nostrils linear, overhung by a membraneous lobe ; tail normal, but 

 short. Nature prtecocial ; eggs two or three, dark-colored, and more or less spotted. 



The Family includes a single genus, Urinator, usually, but wrongly, called 

 Colymhus. 



Genus URINATOR, Cuvier. 



Cohjmbus, Linn. S. N. od. 10, I. 1758, 135 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 220 (part). 



Mcrgus, Buiss. Orn. VL 1760, 104 (not of Linn. 1758). 



Uria, Scop. Intiod. 1777, 473 (not of Biiiss. 1760). 



Urinator, Cuv. Anat. Conip. \. 1799, taLl. ii. (types, Cohjmbi arcticus, glaciaUs, el septentrional is, 



Linn.). 

 Eudytes, Illio. Piodr. 1811, 282 (same types). 



Char. The .same as those of the Family. 



We cannot allow our av(irsion for violent or otherwise distasteful changes to overrule the 

 obvious necessities of the present case. There can be no question that the name Cohjmbus, so long 



U, immer, advZt. 



useil by many authors for this genus, belongs properly to the Grebes. This fact has long ago been 

 clearly demonstrated by Sundeval and other competent authorities, and more recently by Dr. L. 



