GREBES. 



193 



The genus Podiceps (potius Podicipes], was founded by 

 Latham, in 1790, and there is nothing in his characters to 

 indicate any individual species as the type of his genus. The 

 lobed feet, which he recognises as a character, are peculiar to 

 all Grebes, and therefore the type of the genus can only be 

 assured by elimination. The history of Latham's genus can, 

 therefore, be traced as follows : 



LATHAM, 1790. 



Lophaithyia, Kaup, 1829 ...Podiceps cristatus. 



cayanus (ex Bodd. PI. 



Ent. 404, fig. i). 

 auritus (nee Linn.) = 



P. nigricolliS) Brehm. 

 obscurus 

 cornutus 



Proctopus, Kaup, 1829 



Dytes t Kaup, 1829 ... 

 Podethyia, Kaup, 1829 



Podiceps, Kaup, 1829 

 Podilymbus, Less, 1831 



= P. auritus, 



Linn. 



caspicus 



rubricollis=P. griseigena, 



Bodd. 

 thomensis (ex Briss. Orn. 



vi. p. 5 8 )- 

 minor, 

 dominicus. 

 hebridicus (= P. minor, 



carolinensis. 1 

 ludovicianus. j 



Kaup, in 1829, split up the genus Podicipes, and fixed 

 P. minor as the type, dividing the other Grebes under separate 

 generic headings. I do not at present see any appeal from his 

 decision, much as I regret the necessity of having to adopt his 

 name Lophathyia for the larger European species. 



As with the Divers, the habits of one Grebe are very like those 

 of another, and it is consequently difficult to say anything 

 that is new about their mode of life. They are all but cosmo- 

 politan in their range. 



The genus Lophcethyia is distinguished from the smaller 

 Grebes by the length of the bill, which is pointed, and measures 

 from the gape more than the length of the inner toe and claw. 



'5 



