NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 211 



species. The genera are numerous ; all apparently safely grounded. It is 

 rather difficult to group them satisfactorily into subfamilies; but there do 

 seem to be three series of genera, the components of each of which are de- 

 cidedly more intimately correlated with each other than with any of the 

 genera of either of the other two series. We have therefore three subfamilies, 

 as follows : — 



Subfam. Alcinx. — Ptilosis reaching to or bej'ond linear nostrils ; no crests ; 

 tail cuneate ; bill sulcate, cultriform. Typical " Auks ;" connecting with 

 Penguins. Genera : Alca, Utamania. 



Subfam. Phaleridinse. — Ptilosis not reaching various nostrils ; 'mostly crested ; 

 bill various, but always compressed, somewhat cultriform, often api)endaged ; 

 tail squarish or rounded. A middle group, leading nowhere ; sometimes under 

 a quail-like mask. Genera: Fratercida^ Ltinda, Ceratorhx/ncha, Sagmulorrhina, 

 Simorhynchus, Plycliorhamphus ; the first named nearest Utamania, the last next 

 to Mergulus. 



Subfam. Uriiner,. — Ptilosis reaching to linear or rounded nostrils ; bill conic 

 or subcylindric, simple, usually much elongated ; tail rounded or pointed ; 

 head not crested (exc. one species). " Guillemots." Genera ; ilergulus, Si/n- 

 thliborhamphus, Uria, Lomvia. The last named repeating Alcinie in coloration ; 

 grading towards Cob/nibidx in the chars, of bill. The first i^Mergulus) in quail- 

 guise ; and forming the inosculating point of the present order with Longipennes 

 by means of Halodroma. 



Fam. Colymbid;e. — Plumage normal. Ptilosis reaching nostrils. Hallux 

 well formed, semi-lateral, joined to base of inner toe. Wings pointed. Feet 

 palmate ; fourth digit lengthened. Tarsi flat, reticulate, their posterior edge 

 smooth. No crests. Lores feathered. Tail short, but well formed. Bill 

 constant, long-conico-compressed, simple. Nostrils linear, lobed. Claws 

 narrow. 



A small family, of (technically) one subfamily and only one genus, Colym- 

 bus, with some half-dozen species. Related to auks through Lomvia. Repre- 

 senting, by its quasi-totipalmate feet, the Sleganopods among Pggopodes ! But 

 affinities really closest with the next family. 



Fam. PoDiciPiDyi';. — Plumage normal. Ptilosis not reaching nostrils ; lores 

 naked. Nostrils lanceolate, &c., not lobed. Wing rounded. Hallux well 

 formed, lobed. Feet lobate, or lobate-semipalmate. Tarsi flat, their poste- 

 rior edge serrate. Conspicuous' crests, or modified feathers about head. Tail 

 rudimentary. Bill simple, variable, stout or slender, conico-compressed, long 

 or short Claws subquadrate, flat. 



A family unique among water birds in its single carotid, lobed feet, abort- 

 ive tail, and flat nails. Nearest Colymbidx in afilnity ; replacing, in its sub- 

 class, fulicarious Grallce, — in fact, linked therewith by Heliornithidie. Coun- 

 terfeiting some Crypturidfp, of gallinaceous birds. Its longest-billed and 

 -necked genus representing in its own family the place oi P lotus among Ste- 

 ganopods. 



But one subfamily is usually recognized. There maybe two, for one genus 

 differs more from the rest than any of the latter do from each other. The 

 following would be the diagnoses, but I scarcely think it necessary to make 

 this distinction with such little difference : 



Subfam. Fodilymbinie. — Bill stout, almost hooked. Nostrils sub-circular. 

 Lores broadly naked. Frontal feathers bristly ; no decided crests. Tarsus 

 not three-fourths of the middle toe. Feet semipalmate, as w'ell as lobed ; 

 hallux narrowly lobed. Genus: Podilymbus. 



Subfam. Podicipinse — Bill slender, straight at tip. Nostrils linear. Lores 

 narrowly naked. Frontal feathers simple ; usually conspicuous crests and 

 ruffs. Tarsus three-fourths or more of the middle toe. Feet with only a 

 small basal web in addition to the lobes ; hallux broadly lobed. Genera ; 



1869.] 



