312 General Notes. ae 
GENERAL NOTES. 
The proper Generic Name of the Loons.— Formerly, and still to a 
large extent, the Loons were referred to the genus Colymbus Linn., 1758. 
Brisson, however, in 1760, restricted Colymbus to the Grebes (cf 
Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. V, 1882, 42), in which sense it is used in 
the A. O. U. Check-List, where Urénator Cuvier, 1799, is employed for 
the Loons. There is, however, a perfectly tenable earlier name for the 
Loons in Gavza Forster, 1788. Why it has been so long overlooked seems 
unaccountable, as it is so well defined that its pertinency is beyond 
question. 
Forster (Enchirid. Hist. Nat. 1788, 38) clearly distinguished the Grebes 
as Colymbus, as follows: ‘‘ rostrum subulatum, compressum. Pedes lobati, 
Tzbiae postice carinato-serratae.” Next follows his genus Ura, for the 
Auks, and then Gavza, characterized as follows: “vostrum subulatum, 
compressum. /Pedes palmati, tetradactyli.” This in itself is unequivo- 
cally diagnostic, and taken in connection with the groups that precede and 
follow Gavza, the conclusion that Gavza is here proposed for the Loons 
is irresistible. 
The main synonymy of the genus Gavda is as follows: 
Colymbus LINN. Syst. Nat. ed. 10, I, 1758, 135 (in part). 
Gavia ForsTER, Enchirid, Hist. Nat. 1788, 38. 
Urinator Cuvier, Anat. Comp. I, 1799, Tabl. ii. 
The Loons of the A. O. U. Check-List will therefore stand as follows: 
7. Gavia imber (GuNN.). 
8. Gavia adamsii (GRAy). 
g. Gavia arctica (LINN.). 
10. Gavia pacifica (LAwR.). 
11. Gavia lumme (GuNN.). 
It also becomes necessary to change the name of the family from 
Urinatoride to Gaviip#®.—J. A. ALLEN, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., New 
York City. 
Uria lomvia, an Addition to the Avifauna Columbiana. — The recent 
erratic movement of this species extended also to the Potomac at this 
point, and adds another family to our list. Six specimens, all birds of 
the season were obtained in this locality, as follows: 
No. 1. Dec. 14, 1896. The first seen at the market. 
G65 <0. SG XG, & Occoquan Creek, Potomac River. 
cites) ones paleo &, Potomac River, between Washington and 
Alexandria. 
No. 4. Dec. 27, 1896. @, Potomac River, between Washington and 
Alexandria. 
No. 5. Dec. 28, 1896. @, Potomac River, between Washington and 
Alexandria. 
No.6. Jan. 1, 1897. @, Potomac River, between Washington and 
Alexandria. 
