12 Birds of Colorado 



Adults in winter and voung birds are dosky black above, the feathers 

 of the back margined with greyish, gi\Tng a scaly appearance ; below 

 white ; the neck slightly speckled with dusky ; iris brown, bill bluish- 

 grey, feet dusky greenish. 



Distribution. — Breeding in the northern parts of both hemispheres, 

 in America only far north from Hudson Bay to Alaska ; in winter 

 south, casually but rarely to the northern borders of the United States. 



The Black -throated Loon is a rare winter visitor to Colorado. Three 

 examples were killed on Prospect Lake, close to Colorado Springs, 

 in November, 1S9S, and another near the same place in the fall of 1SS2 

 (Aiken) ; an example in winter-dress obtained on Monument Creek, 

 also close to Colorado Springs, November 5th, 1091, in the Aiken 

 colleotion, is now preserved in the Colorado CoUege Museum. 

 Henderson considers his former record of this species too doubtful 

 to be retained. 



ORDER loxgipexnt:s. 



The members of this order, which includes the Gidls, 

 Terns.. Skimmers and Skuas, are chiefly marine forms, 

 and are therefore not weU represented in Colorado. 



They are all birds of medium size, with moderate- 

 sized bUls and simple, not tubular, nostrils ; the wings 

 are long and consist of eleven primaries, the outer 

 (twelfth) minute and hardly noticeable ; rectrices twelve 

 in number, feet with the three front toes webbed, 

 generally completely ; a small hind toe, not connected 

 with the others, and jointed at a higher level, generally 

 present. 



KzT OF THE FAirrLizs A>rD Gexeka. 



A. Bill with a horny cere overhanging and partially concealing 



the nostrils (Stercorariida). Stercorarius, p. 13. 



B. Bill without cere (LaridcE). 



a. Bill stout, hardly as long as the head ; upper mandible longer 

 than the lower, with the tip hooked down over it. 

 a^ Tail square. 



a* Hind toe very small or absent, without claw. 



Rissa, p. 14. 

 b* Hind toe present and clawed, though small. 



Lams, p. 15. 



