UttlXATOIMD.E- THH LOONS — UUINATOII. 



447 



with white. Bill Mai-k, piikT at tlie tip; iii^ ciiniiiiic; h"^* ami tVet " liviil j,'rayisli MiiP, tlii'ir 

 iiiiiLT sides tinged with i)ah? yelhiwish lle.-ii-culor ; daws lilaik, li'^litir at tiie hase ; wehs liiowiiish 

 bhicli, lighter in the middle" (Audi iion). Yoitnij: V\<\)tv paitH dusky, the scaimlars, intciscaii- 

 iiluin, and upper tail-c<>vert.s iMjiilered terminally with pluinlieous-gray ; lnwer parts, incluiling 

 malar regimi, ehiu, throat, and loreueck, white, the sides and Hanks dusky lirown, snuaniuted with 

 grayish. "Hill jiale yellowish green, the ridge and ti|> of u|ipper mandiide dusky ; iris hrown ; 

 leet ilusky e.vternally, pale yellowish Ih-sh-eolor internally, webs dusky, but yellow in the middle" 

 (Ai'uriioN). Iliiivinj yoniiij: Uniform dark luligiiious, lighter and more slaty on tiie throat, for<'- 

 neek, jugulum, and sides, the entire alxlonien velvety yellowish white, shaded with pale ash-gray 

 exteriorly. The down short and very <lense, very similar to the fur of an otter or other fur-hearing 

 mammal. 



Total length, 32.(HI to 3fi.(K) inches ; extent, rrl.OO to 57.50 ; wing, i;}.()5-15.25 (average, 14.0«) j 

 culmen, 2.75-;j.5() (:J.(>7) ; depth of bill through base, .!)(»-l.(l5 (.!)(!) ; tarsus, 2.76-3.85 (3.36) ; 

 outer toe, 3.H.5-4.(;5 (4.22). (Thirteen i'dults.) 



Two e.\aniples from Iceland are iilentiail with American specimens. 



The Loon, or (rroat Xorthcrn Divor, of Xortli Aiiiprica li.is a lii,!;h northorn distri- 

 bution (luring its seii.soii of reproduction. It is found from tin- Atlanti(! to tlit- i'acilic, 

 ami biveds from about latitude 4li^ to within the Arctit! Cinle. ])uring the winter 

 it is foiiutl on both the western and ea.stern sea-ooasts, from hit. 4S° X. to San Diego 

 on the Taeifie, and from Maiiu' to Florida and Texas on the Atlantic and (Julf e(»iist. 

 In the interior it is found as far north as it can i)rocure food and tin<l open water. 



According to Professor lleinhardt it is a resident sjieeies in (rreenland. It is 

 common throughout the inttn-iorof tiie Fur Countries in tlu^ summer season, frecjuent- 

 ing lakes and pouihs. Mr. Jloss procured specimens on the Ma<d<en/.ie, and Mr. Mur- 

 ray fi'ceived them from the IIu<lson's 15ay IJegion. Mr. IJannister mentions this bird 

 as common on the Island of .St. Micliiud'.s, and Mr. Dall as not nnoonuuon on tlie 

 Yukon, particularly near tlnf sea. It was fd)taim'd by Mr. Kennicott at Fort Ynkon. 

 It breeds at Kyska, and is abuuflant at Amcliitka in duly; but was not seen else- 

 where among the Aleutian Islands, except at the Shumagins, where it is a summer 

 resident, according to Mr. Dall. 



Dr. Cooper states that it is ab\uulant during the winti-r in San Diego l?ay, and 

 along the whole (!oast up to the forty-eighth degrees of north latitudt^, and in all ojien 

 fresh waters. He saw it alxuit San Diego as late as 3Iay, where the birds wert; 

 in ])airs. They are found in the summer about every lake and pond in the Cascade 

 Mountains ami the Siena Nevada. Tlu'y build on tlu^ borders of these lakes, and, 

 north of tlie Columbia, clown nearly to the level of the sea. As soon as the young 

 liave been hatidied, the males desert their mates, and repair to tin; salt water. Soon 

 after this they moult, and become so bare of feathers as to be unable to rise from the 

 water. 



A specimen was taken by Dr. Ilohb-u in the Colorado Eiver; and a single indi- 

 vidual was secured by Mr. Dresser in Southwestern Texas. 



Mr. N. I{. Moore states that in Floriila, in winter — usually in December — he 

 has occasionally seen as many as eight of this species, in immature plumage, swim- 

 ming in company. It does not always swallow its iish when under the water. He 

 lias frequently seen the Loon bring the iish to the surface, if large, and there attempt 

 ti) swallow it. He has known this bird to be taken in a common cast-net thrown by 

 till' hand. 



Mr. George A. lioardman informs me that the Loon breeds abundantly in the 

 ponds of the neighborhood of Calais ; and he has ascertaim.'d that the lunnber of its 

 young is invariably two. These, .as soon as they are hatched, are taken by the old 



