154 BLRDS. 



FAMILY LXIV.— EUDYTID^. 



{The Loons.) 



Bill long, strong, tapering, acute, wholly hard; nostrils 

 linear. Head densely and evenly feathered, without rufis 

 or naked spaces; eye large. Feet 4-toed, palmate; tar- 

 sus reticulate, strongly compressed. Wings comparatively 

 long and strong. Tail short, but well developed. Back 

 of adult with small spots; precocial. Genus one; species 

 three. Birds of large size, with strong powers of flight, 

 and pre-eminent in swimming and diving, but scarcely 

 able to Vv^alk; they are migratory, breeding- northward, 

 but coming S. in winter; the voice is singularly sharp 

 and wild. 



/. URINATOR, Cuvier. Loons. 

 = Eudytes^ Illiger. 



1. U. immer, Brlinn. Great Northern Loon. 

 Diver. Black; breast and below chiefly white; head 

 and neck iridescent, green and violet; a patch of white 

 streaks on each side of neck and on the throat; back 

 with many white spots; L. 36; W. 14; Ts. 3; B. 3, 

 Northern Hemisphere; whole U. S. in winter. [O. 

 glacialis^ L.) 



2. U. arciicus, L. Black - Throated Diver. Similar, 

 but head and neck behind bluish or hoary gray; fore- 

 neck purplish black, with a crescent of white streaks; 

 L. 28; W. 12; B. 2^. Northern hemisphere, not 

 common in U. S. 



3. U. lumme, Briinn. (L.) Red -Throated Diver. 

 Blackish, chiefly white below; head and neck mostly 

 bluish gray; throat with a large chestnut patch; L. 27; 

 W. 11; B. 2. Northern hemisphere. 



