l'uijiril'Ib.K — THE GKEBES — ^ECHMOPHORTJS 421 



A. Bill slender, the length of the culmen from 2| to 6 times greater than the bastd depth. 



a. Size large (wing, 6.45-9.00 inches ; culmen, L.50-3.05). 



1. .ffichmophorus. Neck extremely long (almost equal t.e the body in length) ; Ijill longer 



than tin- head, very slendi c and acute (the culmen 5 to 6 limes longer than the depth 

 through the base), straight, or even slightly recurved ; tarsus equal i<> the middle toe and 

 claw ; no colored tufts, ruffe, m patches about the head, ami plumage the same at all 

 stages ami seasons. 



2. Colymbua. Neck much shorter than tie- bodj ; hill aboul equal to the bead, stout (cttl- 



nien about 3.', times tin- basal depth), the tip obtuse, ami the outlines more or less curved ; 

 tarsus shorter than the middle toe with claw; adull in the breeding-season ornamented 

 by colored ruffs, tufts, or patches about the head, the winter plumage and the young very 

 different. 



b. Size small (wing, about 5.00 6.00 inches ; culmen, .95-1.10). 



3. Dytes. Neck much shorter than the body ; hill much shorter than tie' lead, the culmen 



equal to about 3 to 31 time, the basal depth; tarsus about equal to the middle toe 

 without the: claw ; adult in breeding-plumage with colored tufts or patches about the 

 head ; young and winter adult very different from the breeding-plumage. 

 <-. Size very -mall (wing, 3.50-4.00 inches ; culmen, less than 1.00). 



4. Podiceps. Neck much shorter than the body ; hill shorter than the head, the culmen less 



than 3 times the basal depth ; tarsus decidedly shorter than the: middle toe without claw ; 

 in the American species, adult iii breeding-plumage without ornamental tell- or patches. 



B. Hill very stout, the length of the culmen less than twice a- great as the basal depth. 



5. Podilymbus. Size rather -mall (wing, about t.50-5.00 inches) ; bill much shorter than 



head, the culmen much curved terminally ; tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw. 

 No tufts in summer plumage, but bill crossed by a broad black bar, ami throat covered 

 by a black patch. 



Gems .SJCHMOPHORUS, < mis. 



JEchmophorus, Cot l , Pr. Ac. Hat. Sci. Philad. April, 1SG2, 229 (type, Podiceps occidentals, La wit.). 



Char. Neck extremely long (almost as long as the body), the: bill longer than tie- head, < i\ 

 Blender ami acute it In: length of the culmen ~> tee <i tine'- greater than the depth through the ha i»), 

 straight, en- even slightly recurved ; tarsus equal to the; middle ten: ami claw. Plumage: plain pluiu- 



in - dusky or blackish above, pure white beneath, including the whole under side of head ami 



neck ; much the same- at all seasons and stages. 



Only one- species of this genus is known ; this, however, represented ley two supposed race , 

 distinguished mainly, if not entirely, by their dimen ion-. The) differ a- bellows : — 



1. Occidentalis. Wing, 7.45-6.50 inches (average, 8.07) ; ' julmen, :>.(;< i-3.o. r > (2.7s). //"'<. 



Western North America in general, but chiefly the- interior. 



2. Clarki. Wing, 6.70-7.75 inches (average-, 7.31) ; culmen, 2.10-2.48 (2.2o).' Hob. Pacific 



coast of North America. 



.ffichmophorus occidentalis. 



THE WESTERN GREBE. 



Podiceps occidentalis, Lawr. in Baird's I!. N. Am. 1858, 894. — Baird, Cat. N. Am. I!. 1859, no. 

 704. —Coop, & Suck. N. II. Wash. Ten. 1880, 281, pi. 38. — Comss, Key, ts7J, 330 ; Cheek 



List, 187:'., no. 608. 

 JBchmophorus occidentalis, CoiTES, Pr. Ac Nat. Sea. Philad. 1862, 229; 2.1 Check List, 1882, no. 

 846. — Rn.e-.w. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 729. 



/'"'"■//'. (.Erhiiuiplwriis) .,.,,,), nlnlis, I'eiUES, birds N". W. 1874, 727. 



1 The above measurements an: from specimens in tie- National Museum collection. That the two 

 forms intergrade, however, met only in measurements, hut also other mppo ed distinctive characters, is, 

 we: believe, clearly demonstrated by .Mr. Henshaw in bull. Xutt. Orn. Club, October, 1881, pp. 214 -218. 



