5 1 8 LONGIPENNES—LOOM 



caroUnensis (Wilson, Am. Orn. iii. p. 57), well known in the eastern 

 part of North America, as well as to its western representative L. 

 excubitoroides, Baird ; (2) in Jamaica to two species of Tyrant-bird 

 inhabiting that island, Fitangus caudifasciatus in the Windward 

 portion, and Mijiarchus validus or crinitus in the Leeward (Gosse, B. 

 Jam. pp. 177, 186); but perhaps originally to (3) a very large 

 Duck, the Tachjeres^ or Micropterus cimreus or brachypterus, on 

 which have since been bestowed the names of Race-Horse (Byron, 

 Narrative &c. p. 50) and Steamer-Duck (P. P. King, Foy. 'Adventure,' 

 i. p. 36), inhabiting the Falkland Islands and the Strait of 

 Magellan, Avhere its peculiar habit of rowing itself with its wings 

 along the top of the water at great speed has been noticed by 

 seamen for more than three centuries, and accounts of it may be 

 read in many narratives. A second species, T. patacJionicus has been 

 described (ZooL Journ. iv. p. 100) and said to be capable of flight; 

 but Prof. R. 0. Cunningham -is of opinion {Nat. Hist. Strait Magell. 

 pp. 91-98) that the volant birds are the young of those which do 

 not fly, and growing heavier with age lose the power of raising 

 themselves in the air. This view he ably maintains (Trans. Zool. 

 Soc. vii. pp. 493-501, pis. 58-62), and if it be as correct as it seems 

 its bearing on the flightlessness of Birds is of great importance. 

 Doubts, however, have been expressed on the subject, and M. 

 Oustalet has declared (Miss. Scientif. du Cap Horn, Oiseaux, pp. B. 

 212-232, pis. 4, 5) his belief in the validity of two species. 



LONGIPENNES, Dum^ril's name in 1806 (Zool. Analyt. p. 71) 

 for a " Family " of birds containing the Skimmer, Tern, Avoset, 

 Petrel, Albatros and Gull, which having been adopted by 

 Cuvier, who had before called {Le(;. d'Anat. Comp. tabl. ii.) this 

 group, the Avoset excepted, " Macropteres," has been very often 

 used, though mostly by French authors. 



LONGIROSTRES, Cuvier's name in 1805 {Leg. d'Anat. Comp. 

 tabl. ii.) for a group containing all the Limicolm of modern authors 

 then known to him except Hsemaiopus (Oyster-catcher). 



LOOM, or LOON (Icelandic, Lhnr), a name applied to water- 

 birds of three distinct Families, all remarkable for their clumsy 

 gait on land." The first of them is the ColvmUdx, to which the 

 term Diver is nowadays usually restricted in books ; the second 

 the Podicipedidse, or Grebes ; and the third the Alcidse. The form 

 Loo?i is most commonly used both in the British Islands and in 



1 This name was given to it by Sir R. Owen {I'ran.s. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 254), 

 Mkropterus being preoccupied. 



- The word also takes the form " Lumme " {fide Montagu), and, as Prof. 

 Skeat observes, is probably connected witli lame. The signification of loon, a 

 clumsy fellow, and metaphorically a simpleton, is obvious to any one wlio has 

 seen the attempt of the birds to which the name is given to walk. 



