URINATORID.E — THE LOONS — URINATOR. 455 



land is effected by shuffling along upon her belly, while being propelled by her legs 

 behind. 



A pair, attended by their young, did not attempt to dive on being approached, but 

 kept swimming around their young, which were of tender age, and were easily 

 approached and shot. The egg is described as measuring 2.75 inches in length by 

 1.83 in breadth, and as having a ground of a dark olive-brown, thinly spotted with 

 a dark umber-brown. 



This species breeds in the Hebrides, and is found at all seasons in the sounds and 

 bays of the Orkneys. Mr. Richard Dann states that it makes its first appearance in 

 the spring with the breaking-up of the ice on the lakes, never failing to show itself 

 within twelve hours of the appearance of open water. After the young are hatched, 

 both male and female are very assiduous in bringing them food, are then much on 

 the wing, and may often be seen to fly at a vast height, with fish in their beaks, from 

 one lake to another, and in alighting, to descend very suddenly in an oblique direction. 

 The cries of this species during the breeding-season are said to be very peculiar. 

 On the approach of winter it retires to the west coast of Norway ; and the young 

 birds, migrating to more temperate climates, are found on the open parts of the 

 Baltic, in the Elbe, and on the coast of Holland. 



A single specimen was obtained by Mr. Elliott on the Prybilof Islands. It was 

 found dead on the sea-beach at Zapadnee, St. George's Island, and brought to him 

 by the natives, who differed in opinion as to whether it had ever been seen before 

 about the islands or not. It was the typical U. arcticus, and not U. pacificus. 



Mr. Nelson speaks of the Black-throated Loon as being a rare winter visitant 

 upon Lake Michigan. Oue specimen, secured near Racine, is in the collection of 

 Dr. Hoy r ; and a second specimen was taken near .Milwaukee, and is also preserved 

 in the museum of that city. 



Urinator pacificus. 



THE PACIFIC DIVEB. 



Colymbus pacificus, Lawr. in Baird's B. N. Am. Sept. 23, 185S, S89 (California ; Puget's Sound). — 

 Baird, Cat. N. Am B. 1859, no. 700. — CoUES, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sri. l'liilad. 1802, 228. — Kidgw. 

 Noin. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 739. 



Colymbus arcticus, var. pacificus, Coues, Key, 1872, 335; Check List, 1873, no. 606 a. 



Colymbus arcticus, b. pacificus, Coues, Birds X. W. 1874, 721. 



Colymbus arcticus pacificus, CoTJES, Key, 1882, no. 843. 



Urinator pacificus, Stejn. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 5, 1882, 43. 



Hab. Pacific coast of North America, south in winter to the extremity of Lower California and 

 Guadalupe Island. 



Sp. Char. Similar to U. arcticus, but smaller, the bill much smaller, straighter, slenderer, 

 and more pointed, and the colors somewhat different. Adult : Occiput and nape very pale ashy, 

 or almost smoky white, much paler than in U. arcticus ; white bars on the scapulars proportion- 

 ately broader, black streaks on the sides of the jugulum narrower, and black of the foreneck less 

 purplish, than in U. arcticus. 



Wing, 11.20-12.25 inches (average, 11.54) ; culmen, 2.00-2.35 (2.15) ; depth of bill through 

 base, .55-.G5 (.132) ; tarsus, 2.70-3.00 (2.86) ; outer toe, 3.30-3.70 (3.47). [Fourteen adults.] 



Although closely resembling U. arcticus, and unquestionably from the same parent stock, the 

 characters of this form are so constant as apparently to warrant our considering it in the light of 

 a species which has passed the " incipient stage." Careful measurements of the two show that, so 

 far as the large series examined is concerned, their dimensions scarcely inosculate (those of the bill 

 not at all), while the peculiarities of color pointed out above are constant throughout the series, 

 which includes, besides live perfect specimens, a large number of heads and necks, which all show 



