HISTORY 



BIRDS OF KANSAS 



Order PYGOPODES. 

 diving birds. 



"Legs inserted far backward, the tarsi extremely compressed. Anterior toes 

 fullywebbed or else strongly lobed and with broad flat nails (Podicipidce) . Bill 

 extremely variable. Habits prsecoeial in Podicipidce and Urinatoridw, altricial 

 in Alcidm; youug dasypsedic. Palate schizognatbous. Carotids double, except 

 in PodicipidcB and some Alcidm {e. g., genus Alle)." 



Suborder PODICIPEDES. Grebes. 



Tail feathers wanting. Anterior toes lobed, the nails very broad, flat, and 

 with rounded tips. {Bidgicay.) 



Family PODICIPIDJE. Grebes. 

 "Swimmers resembling the Loons in the posterior insertion of the legs, but 

 the toes lobate and semipalmate, instead of completely webbed, the claws broad, 

 flat, and nail-like, instead of normally narrow and curved. Bill variable in 

 shape; nostrils variable, but without an overhanging lobe; wings very short and 

 concave, the primaries covered by the secondaries in the closed wing; tail rudi- 

 mentary, consisting of a mere tuft of downy, loose-webbed feathers, without 

 perfectly-formed rectrices; plumage of the lower surface remarkably silky and 

 lustrous, usually white." 



Genus .ffiCHMOPHORUS Cotjes. 

 "Neck extremely long (almost as long as the body), the bill longer than the 

 head, very slender and acute ( the length of the culmen live to six times greater 

 than the depth through the base), straight, or even slightly recurved; tarsus. 



