of the United States. 349 



ORDER V. ANSERES. 



JLnseres, L. Gm. Pinnatipedos, Palmipedes, Lath. Temm. 



Grallatores, Natatores, III. Vigors. Palmipedes, Cuv. 



JYatatores, Vieill. Ranz. Lair. 



Bill generally short, or moderate. Feet placed more or 

 less back, short, covered by a tender coriaceous skin ; tibiae 

 but partially fleshy, naked for a small space, (genera Phala- 

 crocorax, Tachypetes, Aptenodytes excepted,) tarsi much 

 shorter than the neck, compressed, naked, (half feathered 

 before in Tachypetes only,) reticulated ; toes four, or three, 

 palmated or lobated, disposed 3 — 1, 3 — 0, 4 — ; hind toe 

 when present, articulated internally : nails short, in no degree 

 retractile. Body boat-shaped. Tail of from twelve to 

 twenty feathers, or wanting. 



Female smaller. Young differing greatly from the adult. 

 Moult generally twice a year. Plumage thick and close, 

 abundantly furnished with down, oily, impermeable : rump 

 having a glandulous apparatus, whence the oil spreads. 



Aquatic. Live near water, preferring salt ; admirable 

 swimmers. Feed on fishes, insects, mollusca, some on vege- 

 tables, diving for their submerged food. Monogamous, 

 though in breeding and rearing various. Nest generally on 

 the ground, often in the cavities of rocks, and even on trees. 



Divided into five Families, very natural both as to form 

 and habits. 



FAMILY XXIV. LONGIPENNES. 



Longipennes, Cuv. Latr. Longipennes, Tubinares, Vagi- 

 nati, 111. Pelagii, Siphorini, Coleoramphi, Vieill. Pelagii, 

 Siforinii, Chionis, Ranz. ldrochelidones, Goldfuss. Larida, 

 Rallida, Vigors. 



Vol. H. " 44 



