206 PODICIPIN.E. COLYMBUS. 



sists of small fishes, coleoptera, snails, and sometimes seeds. 

 In spring it makes a low clicking and chattering sort of 

 noise. Its nest is bulky, and placed among reeds or sedges ; 

 the eggs five or six, dull white, and elliptical. In summer 

 it is not uncommon even in the most northern parts of Scot- 

 land, whence, however, it removes southward, and at all sea- 

 sons is generally dispersed over England. On the continent 

 it is extensively distributed, but in America has not been 

 met with. 



Dobchick. Dipper. Little Doucker or Diver. 



Colymbus minor, Gmel. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 591. Podi- 

 ceps minor, and Hebridicus, Lath. Ind. Omith. ii. 784, 785. 

 Podiceps minor, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. ii. 727. Sylbeocy- 

 clus Europseus, European Dabchick, MacGillivray, Brit. 

 Birds, v. 



The birds of the next Genus form the transition from the 

 Grebes, properly so called, to the Guillemots and Auks. Were 

 they numerous, they might form a distinct family ; but as 

 very few species exist, they may rather be considered as be- 

 longing to the present group. 



GENUS CXXXIX. COLYMBUS. LOON. 



Colymbus differs from Podiceps in having the toes con- 

 nected by regular webs, and the tail, although very small, 

 formed of regularly developed feathers. The species, few in 

 number, are of large size. They have the bill as long as 

 the head, almost straight, stout, much compressed, tapering, 

 pointed ; upper mandible with the dorsal line gently descend- 

 ing, slightly declinate towards the end, the ridge convex, 

 gradually narrowed, the sides convex, the edges sharp and 

 considerably inflexed, the tip narrow, the nasal groove ra- 

 ther long ; lower mandible with the angle very long and 

 narrow, the dorsal line ascending and straight, the edges 

 sharp, the tip acuminate. Mouth of moderate width, ex- 

 tensile, opening to under the eyes ; palate flattened with six 

 series of reversed papillae ; tongue long, fleshy, trigonal, 

 tapering, with the point slender and horny ; oesophagus 

 wide ; proventriculus large ; stomach moderately muscular, 

 with large tendons, and thick rugous epithelium, having two 

 grinding surfaces ; intestine moderate, or rather long ; coeca 

 rather large. Nostrils sub-basal, small, linear, pervious. 

 Eyes moderate. Apertures of ears very small. Head ob- 



