of the United States. 413 



Confined to warm portions of America and Africa. Formed 

 of but two species, differing from each other as the subgenus 

 Holopodius from the other Phalaropodes. Anomalous: buffet- 

 ted about in different Families, and even Orders. Whatever be 

 its artificial character, its natural station is undoubtedly next 

 to Plotus, as is evident from its form, habits, and especially 

 its skeleton. The digital membrane is so deeply indented, 

 as to give rise to some doubt whether it exists ; but the cha- 

 racter, though almost obsolete, is still preserved. 



363. Heliornis surijvamensis, Vieill. Brown, beneath whitish ; 

 sides of the neck striped with black and white ; bill and feet 

 dusky, the latter barred with black, toes semipalmated ; tail 

 rounded, feathers broad. 



Surinam Darter, Plotus surinamensis, Lath. Podoa suri- 

 namensis, III. Le Grebe-Foulque, Buff. pi. enl. 893. 



Inhabits the warmest parts of America : an accidental visi- 

 tant in summer in the middle states.* 



FAMILY XXVII. PYGOPODES. 



Pygopodes, III. Goldfuss. Brevipennes, Dumeril. Bra- 

 chypteres, Cuv. Latr. Urinatores, Brachypteri, Vieill. 

 Urice, Oken. Colymbini subalati, Blainville. Colymbi, Alcce, 

 Fraterculce, Boie. Marangoni, Ditichi, Ranz. Colymbidce, 

 Alcada, Vigors. Pygopodes, Lobipedes, Nob. An. Tab. 

 Fam. 



Bill short or moderate, more or less compressed, straight, 

 or curved towards the point, acute ; margins entire, bent in ; 

 nostrils basal, lateral, narrow, pervious, half closed by a 



* Heliornis senegalensis, Vieill. Brown, beneath white ; sides of the 

 neck and back speckled with black ; bill and feet red ; outer toes con- 

 nected at base only ; inner cleft ! tail cuneiform, feathers narrow. 



Heliornis senegalensis, Vieill. Gal. des. Ois. pi. 280. 



Inhabits Africa, particularly Senegal. 



Vol. H. 52 



