444 THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



Wisconsin are in the museum of tlie Smithsonian Institution. Tliey are essentially 

 like all the eggs of this genus in shape and colors, and vary greatly in size. Two 

 eggs in my own collection, from Wisconsin, measure, one 1.92 inches in length by 

 1.20 in breadth, the other 1.68 by 1.20; while one from Duenas, Guatemala, measures 

 1.G3 by 1.18. 



Family UEINATOEID^. — The Loons. 



Char. Swimming birds, with the feet situated far back, a well developed hallux, 

 the anterior toes completely webbed and normally clawed ; the bill straight, acute, 

 compressed, the nostrils linear, overhung by a membraneous lobe ; tail normal, but 

 short. Nature pra^cocial ; eggs two or three, dark-colored, and more or less spotted. 



The Family includes a single genus, Urinator, usually, but wrongly, called 

 Colymhus. 



Genus URINATOR, Cuvier. 



Cohjmhus, Linn. S, N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 135 ; ciL 12, I. 176G, 220 (part). 



Mcrgus, Biiiss. Orn. VI. 1760, 104 (not of Linn. 1758). 



Uria, Scop. Introd. 1777, 473 (not of Biiiss. 1760). 



Urinator, Cuv. Anat. Comii. I. 1799, tabL ii. (types, Cobjmbi ardicus, glacialis, et seiHcntrionalis, 



Linn.). 

 Eiulijtcs, iLLif!. Prodr. 1811, 282 (same types). 



Char. The saiiie as those of the Family. 



We cannot allow our aversion for violent or otherwise distasteful changes to overrule the 

 obvious necessities of the present case. There can be no question that the name Colymbus, so long 



U. immer, adult. 



used by many authors for this genus, belongs proi)erly to the Grebes. This fact has long ago been 

 clearly demonstrated by Sundeval and other com[)etent authorities, and more recently by Dr. L. 



