Xll THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Summary of Charadters of the Orders 

 and Families. 



(Compiled with regard to those found in Maine). 



Order 1, PYGOPODES— Grebes, Loons, Auks, Murres and Puffins. 



Feet webbed or lobed and placed far to the rear ; tarsus much flattened ; 

 tail short and obscure ; bill without tooth-like projections and sharply 

 pointed (flattened laterally also in the Puffins) ; birds having a general 

 resemblance to Ducks, being very able swimmers, not especially good 

 flyers and spending most of their time in the water. 



A. Toes provided with lobed webs — Family Podicipidse. Grebes. 



B. Toes webbed but not lobed. 



1. Toes four in number — Family Gaviidae. Loons. 



2. Toes three in number — Family Alcidae. Auks, Murres and Puffins. 



Order 2, LONGIPENNES — Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers. 



Wings long, pointed ; toes webbed ; bills pointed or hooked ; hind toe 

 not webbed (absent in Rissa) ; birds having a general appearance 

 and the manner of flight of the Gulls and Terns and spending much of 

 their time in or over the water. 



A. Lower mandible of the bill not longer than the upper. 



1. Upper mandible swollen at end, curved or hooked, its covering 



composed of three pieces ; middle tail feathers longest ; birds of 

 dark plumage. Family Stercorariidas. Skuas and Jaegers. 



2. Upper mandible not swollen, its covering of a single piece, curved 



or hooked; tail feathers about equal in length. Subfamily 

 Larinae. Gulls. 



3. Upper mandible perfectly straight and sharp-pointed; outer tail 



feathers generally longest. Subfamily Sterninae. Terns. 



B. Lower mandible of bill much longer than the upper. Family Rynch- 



opidae. Skimmers. 



Order 3, TUBINARES — Albatrosses, Petrels, Fulmars and Shearwaters. 



Nostrils opening through horizontal nasal tubes ; bill hooked ; hind toe 



rudimentary or sometimes absent. 

 Nostrils joined and placed on top of bill. Family Procellariidae. Petrels, 

 Fulmars and Shearwaters. 



Order 4, STEGANOPODES — Gannets, Cormorants, Pelicans, Tropic Birds 

 and Anhingas. 

 Toes four, the three front ones and the hind one connected by webs ; 

 large birds frequenting the water and excellent swimmers. 



