ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 25 



GENUS PODILYMBUS LESS. 



Poililyaibus podicep* (Linn.). *PIED-BILLED GREBE; CAROLINA GREBE; 

 HELL-DIVER: WATER-WITCH! DIPPER; DIDAPPER; DABCHICK. 



Very common " throughout the state and easily shot by the skillful hunter" (A. H. 

 Boies); April till fall: ''Monroe county" (JeromeTrombley): "Mackinac Island" (S. E. 

 White); "common at Iron Mountain. Dickinson county," (E. E. Brewster); "Keweenaw 

 Point" (Kneeland); breeds; nests as in last species; ''found breeding on St. Clair Flats" 

 (W. H. Collins, Oologist, Vol. V. p. 19); "Geo. Sprague, of Kalamazoo, secured thirty- 

 two eggs in a half day, about ponds and lakes" (Dr. M. Gibbs); eggs, five to nine, rough, 

 dirty yellowish white. The nest of this species often floats. This queer tailless bird is 

 the cause of many stories told by hunters. They report that it will dodge a bullet as 

 the most skillful hunter seldom takes one. It certainly might and generally would 

 dive even after receiving a mortal wound. Prof. James Satterlee, Greenville, writes 

 me: "This comes from the habit of diving so quickly after the flash of the gun. I shot 

 five in one day with my rifle/' Geo. D. Sones writes: "They dive at sight of flash, and 

 so escape the bullet." as he has actually observed many times. 



SUBORDER CEPPH1. LOONS AND AUKS. 



FAMILY URINATORID^E. LOONS. 



These are pre-eminent water birds, noted for swimming and diving. 



GENUS URINATOR Cuv. 



Loon. 

 o-7 (840). Urinator imber (Gunn.). *Loon; Great Northern Diver. 



Very abundant in spring, summer and autumn; throughout the state; " Grand 

 Traverse Co." (Dr. M. L. Leach); "nests have been found in Washtenaw Co. on musk- 

 rat houses about marshy lakes." (L. W. Watkins); "Common on Lake Erie and Raisin 

 River" (Jerome Trombley); "Mackinac Island" (S. E. White); "Common at Iron 

 Mountain" (E. E. Brewster); " Keweenaw Point " (Kneeland); breeds plenteously; nests 

 in May, in marshes, on large masses of grass, sedges, etc.; eggs two, very rarely three, 

 elongate, olive brown or drab, spotted with darker, often almost black markings; seen 



* Ml species starred, are reported from Locke, Ingham County, by the late Dr. H. A. Atkins. 



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