1420 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



times mistaken for geese, but the flocks of loons never 

 assume the characteristic wedge of the wild geese. 

 Though occasionally there may be a hundred or more 

 birds in the flock, they seem to care nothing for each 

 others company but fly in scattered ranks. 



During the winter all loons are colored much alike, 

 being grayish above and white below but, during the 

 summer, they are quite different. There are only five 

 species of loons in the world, confined to the northern 



"ALL ABOARD" 



One young grebe is just crawling onto its father's back and the other is 

 making haste to follow him. 



half of the northern hemisphere, and only one of these, 

 the common loon, is often seen. It is black above, the 

 back spotted with white, and there is a half ring of white 

 streaked across the neck. The underparts are white but 

 as it is seldom seen except on the water, the general im- 

 pression is that of a black bird about the size of a 

 goose but with a shorter neck and a longer bill. The bill 

 is very strong and sharply pointed for it is used for 



ON THE BOSOM OF THE CAYUGA 

 A horned grebe on Cayuga Lake in winter plumage. 



spearing the fish upon which the loon lives. The fish 

 captured by the loon are usually small but some occa- 

 sionally weigh as much as a pound or even two pounds 



and these are swallowed with much difficulty. The fish 

 are pursued by the loon and speared beneath the water, 

 the strong webbed feet of the bird driving it at such 

 speed that the wings never have to be used unless the 



Photograph by A. D. DuBois 



A HORNED GREBE AT HOME 



All grebes build floating nests from which they can slip readily into the 

 water and disappear. 



bird is wounded. The fish are never swallowed beneath 

 water but are brought to the surface and juggled about 

 until they can be swallowed head foremost. 



The loon ordinarily lays its two olive-brown spotted 

 eggs in a mere depression on the shore, on a hummock 



THE "HELL-DIVER'' 



Otherwise known as the pied-billed grebe. Note the insignificant tail. 

 It is a graceful bird on the water but almost helpless on the land. 



