﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  Class 
  AVES 
  

  

  Subclass 
  CARINATAE 
  

  

  Order 
  F»YGOF»ODES 
  

  

  Diving 
  Birds 
  

  

  The 
  Pygopodes 
  (771/7^ 
  rump; 
  ttou?, 
  iroho'i 
  foot) 
  as 
  their 
  name 
  signi- 
  

   fies 
  are 
  characterized 
  by 
  the 
  posterior 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  legs, 
  the 
  crura, 
  

   or 
  "drumsticks," 
  being 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  general 
  body 
  integument 
  and 
  the 
  heel 
  

   joint 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  tail. 
  These 
  birds 
  therefore 
  stand, 
  or 
  sit, 
  with 
  the 
  body 
  

   in 
  a 
  nearly 
  perpendicular 
  position 
  and 
  walk 
  with 
  great 
  difficulty 
  and 
  awk- 
  

   wardness. 
  Palate 
  schizognathous, 
  vomer 
  cleft, 
  maxillo-palatines 
  lamellate, 
  

   biceps 
  slip 
  present, 
  plumage 
  aftershafted, 
  oil 
  gland 
  large 
  and 
  tufted; 
  sexes 
  

   alike; 
  the 
  neck 
  and 
  body 
  are 
  elongated, 
  the 
  tarsi 
  compressed, 
  the 
  feet 
  

   webbed 
  or 
  broadly 
  lobed, 
  the 
  plumage 
  dense, 
  and 
  the 
  body 
  almost 
  entirely 
  

   incased 
  in 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  fat. 
  The 
  numerous, 
  long 
  jointed 
  ribs 
  and 
  long 
  sternum 
  

   form 
  extensive 
  body 
  walls 
  which 
  mostly 
  inclose 
  the 
  internal 
  organs. 
  Hence 
  

   they 
  are 
  highly 
  adapted 
  to 
  an 
  aquatic 
  life. 
  In 
  fact 
  they 
  pass 
  the 
  greater 
  

   part 
  of 
  their 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  are 
  surpassed 
  by 
  no 
  birds 
  as 
  divers 
  and 
  

   by 
  none, 
  or 
  few, 
  as 
  swimmers. 
  Wings 
  short, 
  scarcely 
  reaching 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  

   the 
  tail. 
  The 
  latter 
  short, 
  or 
  rudimentary. 
  Bill 
  homy, 
  with 
  no 
  lamellae 
  

   and 
  no 
  pouch. 
  Gape 
  large. 
  

  

  The 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  order, 
  comprising 
  the 
  three 
  following 
  families, 
  are 
  

   famous 
  for 
  their 
  diving 
  powers, 
  poor 
  flight, 
  helplessness 
  on 
  land, 
  and 
  coarse 
  

   and 
  unpalatable 
  flesh. 
  They 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  aquatic 
  of 
  all 
  our 
  birds 
  and 
  sub- 
  

   sist 
  on 
  a 
  diet 
  of 
  fish 
  and 
  other 
  water 
  animals. 
  They 
  nest 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  or 
  

   rocks, 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  ptilopaedic, 
  or 
  covered 
  with 
  down. 
  

  

  Family 
  COLYIVIBID 
  AE 
  

  

  Grebes 
  

  

  Order 
  Podicipedidiformes 
  in 
  Sharpe's 
  Hand-List 
  

  

  The 
  grebes 
  are 
  a 
  cosmopolitan 
  family 
  of 
  about 
  30 
  species 
  characterized 
  

   by 
  semipalmated 
  and 
  broadly 
  lobed 
  feet; 
  hallux 
  free 
  and 
  broadly 
  lobed; 
  

  

  91 
  

  

  