URINATORID^ — THE LOONS — URINATOR. 445 



Stejneger in the " Proceedings " of the United States National Museum, Vol. 5, pp. 42, 43, as 

 ibllows ; — 



" Linnreus united the Grebes and the Loons or Divers in the same genus, Colymbiis ; but in 1700 

 Brisson liad already separated the Loons from the Grebes, retaining the name Colymbiis for the 

 kxtter. In 1777 Scopoli followed his example. Ten years later Latham applied the name Podiceps 

 to the same group, this consequently being a mere synonyme of Colymbus as restricted by Brisson. 

 As the name given Ity the latter author to the Loons was preoccupied, the next name, which is 

 Cuvier's Urinator, is to be used. The name Emlytes (Illiger), although twelve years younger, 

 has been generally adopted, but it must give way to the older name, for the suppression of which 

 I see, no reason." 



The North American species (there are none extralimital) may be distinguished as follows : — 



Synopsis of Species. 



1. U. immer. Adult : Head, neck, and upper parts black, the head and neck faintly 



glossed with dull greenish ; middle of the foreneck, and sides of the lower neck, crossed 

 by a bar of longitudinal white streaks ; upper parts handsomely dotted with white, these 

 markings lai'gest, and quite quadrate, on the scapulars ; lower parts white. Bill black, 

 the extreme tip only light colored. Young : Upper parts dusky, many of the feathers 

 tipped or edged with plumbeous ; lower parts, including under side of head and neck, 

 white. Wing, 13.00-15.25 inches (average, 14.06) ; culmen, 2.75-3.50 (3.07) ; depth of 

 bill through base, .90-1.05 (.96); tarsus, 2.75-3.85 (3.35); outer toe, 3.85-4.65. Hab. 

 Northern part of northern hemisphere. 



2. U. Adamsii. Similar to immer, but much larger, the bill very differently shaped, the 



head and neck glosised with violet-blue, instead of greenish, the white spots of the scapu- 

 lars decidedly longer than broad, and the bill light colored. Wing, 14.85-15.45 inches 

 (average, 15.11) ; culmen, 3.50-3.65 (3.59) ; depth of bill through base, 1.00-1.20 (1.09) ; 

 tarsus, 3.25-3.55 (3.41) ; outer toe, 4.15-4.65 (4.34). Hab. Western Arctic America. 



3. U. arcticus. Adult: Under side of head, with foreneck, velvety purplish black, with 



purplish violet gloss ; upper part of head and nape smoky ash ; sides of the neck with 

 several longitudinal rows of white streaks ; upper parts black, the back and scapulars 

 with three longitudinal series of broad white bars ; lower parts white. Young : Similar 

 in colors to the same stage of immer and Adamsii. Wing, 12.15-13.20 inches (average, 

 12.55) ; culmen, 2.50-2.85 (2.60) ; depth of bill through base, .75-80 (.78) ; tarsus, 2.90- 

 3.30 (3.11) ; outer toe, 3.45-3.95 (3.76). Hab. Northern part of northern hemisphere, 

 chieHv the Palajarctic Region and Northeastern America. 



4. U. pacificus. Similar to arcticus, but decidedly smaller, with much smaller and more 



slender bill ; occiput and nape much paler ashy — almost smoky white ; black of the 

 foreneck rather greenish than pur])lish. Wing, 11.20-12.25 inches (average, 11.54) ; 

 culmen, 2.00-2.35 (2.15) ; depth of bill through base, .55-65 (.62) ; tarsu.s, 2.70-3.00 

 (2 86) ; outer toe, 3.30-3.70 (3.47). Hab. Pacific coast of North America. 



5. U. lumme. Adult : Head and neck ashy, the crown and nape streaked with dusky and 



white ; foreneck with a longitudinal wedge-shaped patch of rich chestnut ; upper parts 

 dusky slate, speckled with white ; lower parts white. Young : Similar, but lower half of 

 head and whole foreneck white, like the under parts. Wing, 10.00-1 1.50 inches ; culmen, 

 2.25 ; tarsus, 2.75. Hab. Northern portion of northern hemisphere. 



