LOONS. 



59 



Washington, common W. V., Sept. to Apl. 25, Lonjr Island, abundant T. 

 v., common W. V., Sept. to June. Sing Sing, common T. V., Mch. and Oct. 

 Cambridge, not common T. V., Apl. to early May ; Sept. to Nov. 



Nest^ a uliglit depression in the ground within a lew feet of the water. 

 Eijgg, two, grayish olive-brown, thinly spotted with blackish, 3'50 x 2-L'O. 



This wild inhabitant of our northern lakes and ponds possesses all 

 the characteristic traits of the Divers. Its remarkable notes are thus 

 described by Mr. J. II. Langille: 



" Beginning on the fifth note of the scale, the voice slides through 

 the eighth to the third of the scale above in loud, clear, sonorous tones, 

 which on a dismal evening before a thunderstorm, the lightning already 

 playing along the inky sky, are anything but musical. He has also 

 another rather soft and pleasing utterance, sounding like who-who- 

 who-who, the syllables being so rapidly pronounced as to sound almost 

 like a shake of the voice— a sort of weird laughter," 



Loons may be seen migrating by day singly or in small companies, 

 generally at a considerable height. Their flight is strong, raj)id, and 

 direct. 



9, Urlnator arcticus (Linn.). Bi-Acic-TiiROATEn Loox. A J. in 

 summer. — Throat, foreneoU, back, wing.s, and tail black, with purplish and 

 bluisli rellections ; a band of white streaks on the throat ; sides of the neck, 

 back, and wings streaked, barred, or spotted with white ; top of head and 

 nape gray; breast and belly white; a blackish band at the biusc of the under 

 tail-coverts. Ad. in winter and //«.— Similar in color to U. imber, not spotted 

 above with white. L., 27-00 ; W., IVOO ; Tar., 2-(J0 ; B., 2-00. 



litmarkK. — Immature and winter birds may be distinguished from the cor- 

 responding stage of imh(r by theirsnuill size; from lumme by (jrayish mar- 

 gins instead of white spots, bars, or nuirgins on the upper parts. 



JidiKje. — Breeds in tiie nortliern i)arts of the northern hemisphere; in 

 Niirtli America migrates southward in winter to the northern United States, 

 easiuiUy to Oliio and Long Island. 



Long Island, A. V., one record. 



iAV«^, a slight dcj)rcssion in the ground within a few feet of the water. 

 Eggs., two, grayish olive-brown, spotted or scraw led with blackish, 3-20 x 2-10. 



This species is a very rare winter visitant to the northern l)order 

 of the United States. The most southern record of its occurrence is 

 Long Island {Butcher, Auk, x, 189:3, p. 205), 



11> Urinator lumme (^f'»/'/^). Ki D-TunoATEn Loon. Ad. in num- 

 vnr. — Hack, wings, and tail fuscous, more or less spotted witii white; head 

 and neck a.shy gray ; foreneek chestnut ; l)ack of the neck i)lack, streaked with 

 white; brea.st and belly white; longer under tail-coverts and band attliebasc 

 of shorter ones fuscous. Ad. in winter mid //«.— Similar to ['. imbtr, but 

 back spotted witli white. L., 2.i'00; W., ll'OO; Tar., 2'00; B., 200. 



Range. — Found throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere. 



