414 Synopsis of the Birds 



membrane. Head small, oblong, depressed above, more or 

 less attenuated before ; base of the bill more or less feathered : 

 neck of moderate length and strength ; body thick, more or 

 less depressed. Feet placed very far back, turned outward, 

 a great portion of the tibia enveloped in the skin of the belly ; 

 tarsus shorter than the middle toe, extremely compressed ; 

 toes three or four, disposed 3 — 0, 3 — 1 ; three anterior long, 

 slender, either wholly palmated, or lobated ; hind toe free, 

 short or wanting : nails moderate, curved, acute, depressed. 

 Wings short ; first, or first second and third primaries long- 

 est. Tail very short, of from twelve to twenty feathers, or 

 wanting, and in its place a tuft of downy feathers. 



Female smaller, similar in color to the male. Young dif- 

 fering much from the adult, and changing for several years. 

 Moult twice a year, almost always changing their colors, and 

 in full plumage, sometimes displaying ornamental feathers. 

 Plumage excessively close, often smooth and silvery : down 

 soft, shining, impermeable. Colors generally dull, dark 

 above, beneath white. 



Eminently aquatic. Keep almost always in the water, 

 diving and swimming below the surface with unrivalled agili- 

 ty, spreading their wings and using them as fins. Hardly 

 ever walk, and then with the greatest difficulty and awkward- 

 ness, the body erect, and resting on the tarsus as well as the 

 toes, almost falling at every step, and when down unable to 

 rise. Flight limited, wings in some totally unfit for it. Feed on 

 fishes, reptiles, insects, and rarely, aquatic plants. Breed in 

 the clefts of rocks, or among water plants near the shore, 

 some in society. Monogamous : eggs very few, mostly one, 

 rarely two. Both sexes sit, and feed the young for some time. 

 Flesh dry, hard, oily, bad tasted, though relished by the 

 Arctic tribes, to whom they are highly useful, supplying them 

 with food and clothing, dresses being made of their skins. 

 Eggs good ; young edible. 



Spread all over the globe, but chiefly Arctic. Formed of 



