THE GREAT DIVER 17 



my boyhood days, but are often seen migrating over much, 

 of the coimtry, and are to be seen at some time of the year 

 on most of the larger streams of the United States. 



Aside from the common loon we have the yellow-billed 

 ioon, the Pacific loon, and the red-throated loon. They are 

 such skilled divers that it takes a very good marksman 

 indeed to shoot one, though they practically never fly when 

 pursued. Occasionally loons stay in the north too long, and 

 a sudden cold spell freezes so much ice on the borders of 

 their lake that they have no room to run on the water far 

 enough to take flight so they must stay where they are. 

 Finally the lake freezes over and they starve to death. 



Key to the Families of Pygopodes 



CoLYMBiDvE — Grebes. 



Without a tail and wHh lobed feet. 

 Alcid^ — Guillemots, AukS, and M'lrres. 



With a tail and with webbed feet, but with no hind toe. 

 Gavi iDJE — Loons. 



With a tail, webbed feet, and with a hind toe. 



