COLYMBUS ARCTICUS, BLACK-TUROATED DIVER, 723 



There is soraethiug very curious iu the relationships that many birds of the families 

 Colymb'-da' and Poclicipldcv bear to each other. Most of the species are, as it were, tlui)li- 

 cated ; that is, there is another scarcely differing except iu the size, one being the 

 fraieraih', or "little brother," of the other. This fact is easily illustrated, taking our 

 several species as examples. Our comujon Loon is the fratercule of C. odamsii, described 

 by Mr. Gray, in l!*59, from Russian, and lately found extensiAely dispersed in Briti^ih 

 America. It is larger than iorquaius, with a relatively as well as absolutely larger bill, 

 differently shaped, and mostly yellow instead of wholly black ; there are also some 

 differences in the coloration of the plumage. The Pacific Diver is the smaller repre- 

 f entative of the Black-throated ; it has also a disproportionately smaller and slenderer 

 bill. It was first described by Mr. Lawrence, in 1858, from young birds taken on the 

 Pacific coast of the United States ; but since that time great numbers of the adults 

 have beeu secured, my examination of which has convinced me that the only dift'er- 

 ences are those just stated. The Red-throated Loon also has its smaller race, though 

 I am not aware that it has been formally recognized ; I have seen sonie full-grown on^s 

 scarcely two-thirds the average size. Among the Grebes the rule is finely illustrated iu 

 the cases of P. occidcntalis and F. clarhil. All the American Red-necked Grebes I have seen 

 have beeu larger, and otherwise different from the European F. grificifjena. I recognizo 

 them as varietally distinct under Reinhardt's name of P. holholH. There are said to 1)8 

 similar races of the Horned Grebes (P. cornutiis), but here the difference is not very 

 evident. The American aud Eurojieau Eared Grebes are singularly correlated ; while 

 of the same size, they differ constantly in the amount of white on the wing, as I showed 

 some years since, in separating our bird, under the name of P. californiciis, from F. aii- 

 rittts. Thei'e are relations of corresponding character between the Dabchick of Europe 

 (Sylbeoci/chw minor) aud that of Central America {S. dominicus) ; between the North and 

 South American Dabchick ( Podilijmhits jwdiccjis and P. mtta)-ctictts) ; while among exotic 

 forms several geographical races or subspecies are easily recognized. 



The Pacific Dive* as its iiaiue iutlicates, is confined to the West, and 

 iu the United States chiefly to the coast itself; but it occurs abundantly 

 iu Western British America. With ns it is only known as a winter res- 

 ident, at which season it reaches our extreme southern border, if not 

 still further; iu the spring' it passes north, and breeds as high as ex- 

 plorers have penetrated. I had rare opportunities of studying these 

 birds while I was in Southern California, iu ^November, 18G5. They 

 were very plentiful about the bay of San Pedro. The first thing that 

 attracted my attention was their remarkable familiarity ; they were tamer 

 than any other water-fowl I liave seen. They showed no concern at the 

 near approach of a boat, scarcely availed themselves of the powers of 

 diving, iu which the whole family excels, and I had no trouble iu shoot- 

 ing as nuiny as I wanted. They even came up to the wharves, and 

 played about as unconcerned as domestic Ducks ; they (constantly swam 

 around the vessels lying at anchor in the harbor, aud all their motions, 

 both on and under the clear water, could be studied to as much advan- 

 tage as if the birds had been placed in artificial tanks (or the purpose. 

 Xow two or three would ride lightly over the surface, with the neck 

 gracefully curved, propelled with idle strokes of their broad paddles to 

 tliis side aud that, one leg after the other stretched at ease almost hori- 

 zontally backward, while their flashing eyes, first directed upward witli 

 curious sidelong glance, then peering into the depths below, sought for 

 some attractive morsel. In an instant, with the peculiar motion, impos- 

 sible to describe, they would disai>[)ear beneath the surface, leaving a 

 little foam an<i bubbles to mark where they went down, aud I couUl 

 follow their course under water; sec them shoot with marvellous swift- 

 ness through the limpid element, as, urged by powerful strokes of the 

 webbed feet and beats of the half opened wings, they Hew rather than 

 swam ; see tlu'Ui dart out the arrow-like bill, transfix an uiducky tish, 

 and lightly ri.se to the surface again. While under water, the bubbles 

 of air carri<'d down with them cling to the feathers, and they seem be- 

 si)angled with glittering Jewels, borrowed for the time liom their native 

 element, and lightly parted with as they leave it. when they arrange 

 their feathers with a slight shiver, shaking otf the last sparkling drop. 



