CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Preface vii 



List of Illustrations xvii 



Ornithological Historical Sketch 1 



Recent Ornithological Work 6 



The State Audubon Society 7 



Life Zones and Bird Distribution 10 



The Canadian Zone 10 



The Alleghanian or Transition Zone 10 



The Carolinian or Upper Austral Zone 11 



Lower Austral or Austro-Riparian Zone 11 



Seasonal Distribution 12 



Explanation of Keys and Descriptions 13 



Key to the Orders 14 



A descriptive List of North Carolina Birds 17 



Order Pygopodes: Diving Birds 17 



Family Colymbida? : Grebes 17 



Genus Colymbus (Linn.) 17 



Genus Podilymbus (Less.) 19 



Family Gaviidse : Loons 20 



Genus Gavia (J. R. Forst) 20 



Family Alcidse: Auks, Murres, and Puffins 22 



Genus Uria (Briss.) 23 



Genus Alca (Linn.) 23 



Genus Alle (Linn.) 24 



Order Longipennes: Long-Winged Swimmers 25 



Family Stercorariidsc : Jaegers and Skuas 25 



Genus Stercorarius (Briss.) 25 



Family Laridse : Gulls and Terns 26 



Subfamily Larinse : Gulls 27 



Genus Larus (Linn.) 27 



Subfamily Sterninse : Terns 32 



Genus Gelochelidon (Brehm.) 32 



Genus Sterna (Linn.) 33 



Genus Hydrochelidon (Boie) 39 



Family Rynchopidse: Skimmers 40 



Genus Rynchops (Linn.) 40 



Order Tubinares: Tube-Nosed Swimmers 41 



Family Procellariidse : Fulmars, Shearwaters, and Petrels 41 



Genus Puffinus (Briss.) 41 



Genus Oceanites (K. and B.) 43 



Order Steganopodes : Totipalmate Swimmers 45 



Family SulidsD : Gannets 45 



Genus Sula (Briss.) 45 



Family Anhingidse: Darters 46 



Genus Anhinga (Briss.) 46 



Family Phalacrocoracidse : Cormorants 47 



Genus Phalacrocorax (Briss.) 48 



Family Pelecanidse : Pelicans 49 



Genus Pelecanus (Linn.) 49 



