COLYMBUS TOEQUATUS, GREAT NOETHERN LOON. 719 



genera Coh/mlms and Podiceps of Latham, and nearly with the Cepplii and Colymhi of 

 Pallas. All were nnited nuder the genus Colymhns by Linnjeus.* Bnt the groups are 

 sufficiently distinct to bear family rank. Temmiuck, indeed, separated them widely bj' 

 intervention of the Longipenncs and Anseres, though this seems hardly permissible. As 

 this family contains but one geuus, further characters are considered under that head. 



Genus COLYMBUS, Linn, {emend.) 



< Colymhus, Linn., Svst. Nat. 1735-1766, and of authors. (Not of Illiger, 1811, nor of 



Pallas, 1811, iior of Brissou, 1760.) 



< Cepphus, MoHuiNG, Gen. Av. 1752, 69. 

 <^ Mergun, Bki.sson, Orn. 1760. 



X Cepphus, Pall., Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, 339. 



= -fc'«%?e», Illigek, Prod. 1811, 282. 



= Eudltes, Kaup, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 144. 



Cii. Bill long, strong, straight, acute, compressed. Culmen convex or nearly straight, 

 connuissnre corresponding, gonys generally convex. Eauii long separate, the gonydeal 

 union usually denoted by a groove sometimes almost to tip, the angle always evident. 

 Maxilla more or less striate basally. Mandible dilated along tomia, with groove just 

 below. Nasal fossai well marked, continued anteriorly in sulci. Nostrils long, liuear, 

 pervious, subbasal, reached by the antite, and having a peculiar flap hanging from the 

 upiier border. Head densely and evenly feathered, with long acute antise running into 

 the nasal fossae ; no uaked spaces uor bristly nor lengthened feathers about the head 

 or ueck. Ear small and inconspicuous. Eye with its anterior canthus just over the 

 angle of the mouth. Wiugs moderately loug (for this group), very powerful, concavo- 

 couvex, with somewhat falcate primaries, the lirst longest, the rest rapidly graduated, 

 the inner secondaries short, stiii', broad, tailing far short of the ends of the primaries 

 in the closed wing. Tail short, but fully developed, rounded, with stiffish acuminate 

 feathers, but upper and under coverts reaching nearly to the end. Legs short, very 

 stout and powerful ; tibiai feathered on the sutirago ; tarsi extremely compressed, en- 

 tirely reticulated, with small polygonal scales and smooth sharp fore and hind edges. 

 Toes lengthened, exceeding the tarsus, outer longest, inner shortest of the anterior 

 ones, all full-webbed ; hallux small, slightly lobed with a tiai) continuous with base of 

 second toe. Claws strong, narrow, obtuse, convex above. 



The three species which compose the genus are characteristic of the Northern hemis- 

 phere. They are heavy, powerful, and hardy birds, emiueut in powers of flight and 

 in swimming and diving, but progressing on land with difficulty. They are migratory, 

 breeding iar north, generally dispersed in winter. The voice is loud, peneti'ating, and 

 raucous ; the nature wild and wary. The eggs are few, generally two or three. The 

 youL'g betake themselves directly to the water, near which the nest is placed — a rude 

 structure of rushes or other aqu-vtic vegetation, built on the grouud. The sexes are 

 alike; the young are dift'erent from the old. 



COLYMBUS TOEQUATUS, Bruuu. 

 Great Jforthern Loon, or Diver. 



a. torquatus. 



ColymhuH torquatus, BhDxn., Orn. Bor. 1764, No. 134. — Ki;ys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 



91.— Lawj:., B. N. a. 1858, 888.— Coop. & «rcK., N. H. Wash. ter. 1860, 278.— 



CoiKs, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1861,248; 1862,227; I'^Ol, 21.— CoiKS, Mem. Bust. 



• Soc. N. H. i, 131 (osteology and myology;. — Col'KS, Key, 1872,334; and of 



most late United States writers. 



CepphuH iorquatun, Pall., Zoog. E.-A. ii, 1811, 340. 



Colymhun i/laciali>i,lAyt;., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 221.— Gm., Svst. Nat. 1, 1788, 588.— Lath., 

 lud. Orn. ii, 1790, 799.— Fohst., Phil. Trans. Ixii,'l772, 383.— Tkmm.. Man. Orn. 

 1815, 597.— Stkpil.Ctcu. Zool. xii, lri24, 2.i3, pi. 61.— Gkav, Gen. of B. iii.631.— 

 Suxi)., Svensk. Kogl. j)]. 53.— WiLs., Aul Orn. ix, 1824, «4, jil. 74.— lip., Syn. 

 1828, 420; List, 1H38, 65.— Sw. A. EtciL, V. B. Auk li, IKU. 474.— Nirr., Man. 

 ii, 1K54, 5L3.— Ari)., Orn. Biog. iv, 183ri.43, pi. 306; 8yn. ISIO, 353; li. Aul vii, 

 1H44, 2.S2, jil. 476.— Gut. , B. L. I. 1844, 37cj ; and of nuist authtus. 



EuihiliH tjla<A(i1i8, Illkikh, Prodronius, 1811, 282.— Naim., V. D. xii, 1844, 397, yl. 327. 



Euditis ylacialis, Kai;p, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 144. 



* Admitting the pertinence of the renuuks of Suudevall (Meth. Av. Tent. Disp. 1^73) 

 and others on the question of nomendatun', we do not iind it necessary to use EuOytcs 

 of Illiger for the Loons, to leave the name Culymbus for the Grebes. 



