gS NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



principal subsistence. The note of this bird is a resonant call reminding 

 one somewhat of the Yellow-billed cuckoo note, composed of the syllables 

 cow — cow — cow — cow — cow — cow — cow, repeated several times, the latter 

 syllables being drawn out into froglike gutturals. This is one of the most 

 characteristic sounds of the marshes comparing well with the booming of 

 the bittern and the clattering of the rails as a sound with which all nature 

 lovers should be familiar. It is undoubtedh' the love note of the bird, but 

 is sometimes heard during the pleasant days of the fall. 



Nest and eggs. The Pied-billed grebe forms its nest of flags and reeds 

 among the thick sedges or cat-tails, btit sometimes in a rather exposed 

 position. It usually rests on submerged weeds or rubbish, but sometimes 

 floats on the surface, only slightly anchored to the surrounding stenis, and 

 has been known to float away in times of Hood with the mother l)ird incubat- 

 ing her four to eight dull white eggs on her rudelv constructed house lioat. 

 When the old bird leaves the nest in search (rf food she usually covers the 

 eggs with weeds, iirobably to protect them from gulls and other egg-loving 

 birds. The eggs are 1.75 inches in length by 1.2 in width. The young 

 swim as soon as hatched. 



Family GAVIIDAE 



Loons 

 Order Colymbiformes in Sharpc's Hand-List 



Bill straight, sharp, strong, horny and paragnathous ; wings strong; 

 primaries 11, 10 being well developed, none emarginate; secondaries numer- 

 ous, short, the fifth wanting; tarsi much compressed, reticulate, smooth on 

 the rear margin; feet palinate; hind toe partly lateral and connected with 

 inner toe by a lobe; claws normal; tail of 18-20 short, stiff feathers; tibia 

 has a long ajjoj^hysis; patella small; carotids double; coeca and ambiens 

 present; body broad and flattened; back spotted. 



Loons are admiralily adapted to the avocation of divers. The form is 

 long and pointed for cleaving the water, the tarsi so narrow that they offer 

 little resistance to forward movement of the legs, and the l)road webbed feet 

 take a jjowerful liold of the water at the backward stroke. They also can 

 change their specific gravity b\' inhaling or expelling air from their lungs 



