SYSTEMATIC TABLE 



The system of nomenclature adopted in recent years by the 

 American Ornithologists' Union is directly the reverse of that 

 which has been used throughout this book. This reverse 

 order has been pursued for the reason that the old system 

 brings the more familiar and attractive birds at once before 

 the reader and places the lower and less familiar forms at 

 the end. From the systemist's point of view the A. O. U.'s 

 Check-list is the better, as it is founded on the theory of 

 evolution in which the lower orders come first, and are 

 arranged in an ascending scale until the most highly special- 

 ized forms are reached. For the convenience of the student, 

 the Orders, Suborders, Families, and Subfamilies of the birds 

 of Albany County are appended, according to the A. O. U. 



nomenclature : 



PAGE 



I. ORDER PYGOPODES: Diving Birds... 161 



Suborder Podicipedes: Grebes 162 



Family Podicipidae : Grebes 162 



Suborder Cepphi: Loons and Auks. ... 161 



Family Gaviidae : Loons 161 



Family Alcidae: Auks, Murres, and 



Puffins 161 



Subfamily Phalerinae: Auklets, Murre- 



lets, and Guillemots 161 



Subfamily Alcinae: Auks and Murres. 161 



II. ORDER LONGIPENNES: Long-winged 



Swimmers 1 59 



Family Laridae : Gulls and Terns 159 



Subfamily Larinae : Gulls 1 59 



Subfamily Sterninae: Terns 159 



167 



