FAMILY HELIORNITHID^E 



parts purplish blue, shading to black on abdo- 

 men; remaining upper parts olive green, the 

 upper back and wings light blue tinged with 

 greenish; tail black; under tail coverts white. 

 Frontal shield blue; bill short, red, tipped with 

 pale greenish; legs yellow. 



Young. Resembling adults but head, neck- 

 and upper parts washed with brownish. 



A handsomely colored bird with a conspicu- 

 ous frontal shield of blue and a red bill. Fre- 

 quents swamps and waters with abundant 

 aquatic vegetation. One was seen sitting on a 

 low stump on Gatun Lake in March, 1924, and 

 others at various times in the large patches of 

 water-hyacinths at the mouth of the Chilibri 

 River. 



6. Family HELIORNITHIDJE 



The Finfoots 



A very small group of aquatic birds of the 

 tropical regions of both hemispheres. They 

 somewhat resemble grebes in size, general 

 appearance and in the structure of their feet, 

 but have a better developed tail. In some 

 of their anatomical characters a relationship 

 to the rails seems to be indicated. There is 

 but one American species, which frequents 

 quiet woodland streams. Not very much 

 has been learned regarding its habits. The 

 family seems to be a survival of a much 

 larger group most of which have become ex- 

 tinct. 



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