THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA 

 EAST OF THE NINETIETH MERIDIAN 



KEY TO ORDERS AND FAMILIES 

 1. THE WATER BIRDS 



FIQ. 22. 



Order I. Pygopodes. GREBES, LOONS, and AUKS. 



Ducklike birds, but with the bill usually pointed, never feathered and 

 wider than high; never with flu tings, 'gutters,' or serrations on its 

 sides; wings short, never with a bright-colored patch or speculum; 

 tail insignificant; feet placed far back (most species, when standing, 

 usually rest on their entire length, thus including the tarsus) ; tarsus 

 flattened to present least resistance when swimming; toes webbed or 

 lobed. Color, usually blackish above, white below, the throat often dark. 

 Grebes and Loons, when pursued, usually dive ; Auks generally fly. 



A. Toes four, nail fla or rounded. 



a. Toes with lobate webs; tail absent. (Fig. 22, a ) 



. . . Family Colymbidce: GREBES, p. 138. 



b. Toes webbed, tail present. (Fig. 22, b.) 



Family Gaviidae: LOONS, p. 142. 



B. Toes three, webbed, nails sharply pointed ; tail present. 



(Fig. 22, c). . . . Family Alcidce: AUKS, MURRES, 

 and PUFFINS, p. 145. 



X 



Order II. Longipennes. JAEGERS, GULLS, 



and TERNS. 



Birds generally seen on the wing, usually 

 over or near water. Bill strong, thick; 

 hooked in the Gulls and Jaegers, sharply 

 pointed in the Terns; bladelike in the Skim- 

 mers; often in part yellow or red; wings 



(118) 



FIG. 23. 



