of the United States. 419 



far to the north ; common from Canada to Louisiana, migra- 

 ting in the middle states. Resembles Podiceps minor of the 

 old continent, with which it has been confounded, but is well 

 distinguished by the bill. 



** Toes palmated. 



84. COLYMBUS. 



Colymbus, L. Gm. Lath. Temm. Vieill. Urinator, Lacep. 

 Mergus, Briss. Eudytes, 111. Ranz. 



Bill longer than the head, stout, robust, straight, nearly 

 cylindric, compressed, point subulate, acute ; edges bent in, 

 sharp, entire; upper mandible somewhat rounded above, 

 slightly curved at the point ; lower hardly shorter, quite 

 straight, navicular : nostrils basal, lateral, concave, longitu- 

 dinal, oblong, pervious, half covered by a membrane : tongue 

 lanceolate, fimbriated backwards at base. Head rather large, 

 narrowed before, the feathers advancing between the nostrils ; 

 lores feathered ; eyes small, placed near the bill : neck mode- 

 rate, rather stout : body massive, somewhat depressed. Feet 

 large, placed very far back ; tibia almost entirely drawn up 

 into the belly ; tarsus shorter than the outer toe, exceedingly 

 compressed, sharp on both sides, posterior edge simple, en- 

 tire ; anterior toes long, wholly palmated ; outer longest ; 

 inner shorter than the middle one ; hind toe small, touching 

 the ground merely at tip, connected to the outer by a very 

 small rudimental membrane, bordering the inner toe inter- 

 nally at base ; nails short, compressed, but somewhat flat- 

 tened, not reaching beyond the web ; middle nail longest, 

 hind nail small, acuminate. Wings moderate; quills stiff - 

 first and second primaries longest. Tail very short, rounded, 

 of eighteen or twenty feathers. 



Female similar to the male. Young very different from 

 the adult until the third or fourth year. Moult twice in the 

 year without changing their colors. Plumage very thick and 



