COLYMBUS TORQUATUS, GREAT NORTHERN LOON. 719 



geiiora Cohjmbus nnd Podicep't of Latham, and nearly with the Cepphi and ColymU of 

 Pallas. All were united under the genus Coli/miiis by Linnieus.* But the groups are 

 snfflciently distinct to bear family rank. Teuimiuck, indeed, separated them widely by 

 iuf iTvention of the Longipennes and Avseres, though this seems hardly permissible. As 

 this family contains but one genus, further charauters are cousidered, under that head. 



Genus GOLYMBUS, Unn. {emend.) 



< Colymhm, Linx., Svst. Nat. 1735-1766, and of o.uthors. (Not of Illiger, 1811, nor of 



Pallas, 1811, nor of BrissOn,,lT60.) 



< Cepphus, MOhhing, Gen. Av. 1752, 69. 

 <? Mergus, Bhisson, Orn. 17C0. 



X Cepphaa, Pall., Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, 339. 



= Eudgles, Illiger, Prod. 1811, 2»i. 



= EudUes, KaUP, Sk. Ent. Eur, Thierw. 1829, 144. 



Ch. BillloDgjStrong, straight, .acute, compressed. Culmen convex or nearly straight, 

 commissure corresponding, gonys generally convex. Rami long separate, the gonydeal 

 union usually denoted by a groove sometimes almost to tip, the angle always evident. 

 Maxilla more or less striate basally. Mandible dilated along tomia, with groove just 

 below. Nasal fossae well marked, continued anteriorly in sulci. Nostrils long, linear, 

 pervious, subbasal, reached by the autite, and having a peculiar flap hanging from the 

 upper border. Head densely and evenly feathered, with long acute autise running into 

 the nasal fuss£8 ; no naked spaces nor bristly nor lengthened feathers about the head 

 or neck. Ear small and inconspicuous. Eye with its anterior canthus just over the 

 angle of the mouth. Wings moderately long (for this group), very powertul, coueavo- 

 convex, with somewhat falcate primaries, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated, 

 the inner secondaries short, stiff, broad, falling far short of the ends of the primaiies 

 in the closed wing. Tail .short, but fully developed, rounded, with stiffish acuminate 

 feathers, but upper and under coverts reaching nearly to the end. Legs short, very 

 stout and powerful ; tibiae feathered on the sutfrago ; tarsi, extremely compressed, en- 

 tirely retjiulated, with small polygonal scales and smooth sharp fore and hind edges. 

 Toes lengthened, exceeding the tarsus, outer lougest, inner shortest of the anterior 

 ones, all full-webbed; hallux small, slightly lobed with a flap contiuuous with base of 

 second toe. Claws strong, narrow, obtuse, convex above. 



The three species which compose the genus are ch.aracteristic of the Northern hemis- 

 phere. They are heavy, powerful, and hardy birds, emiueut in powers of flight and 

 in swimming and diving, but progressing on land with difliculty. They are migratury, 

 breeding far north, generally dispersed in winter. The voice is loud, penetrating, and 

 raucous ; the nature wild and wary. The eggs are few, generally two or three. The 

 youi'g betake themselves directly to the water, near which the nest is placed — a rude 

 structure of rushes or other aquatic vegetation, built on the ground. The sexes are 

 alike ; the young are different from the old. 



y 



COLYMBUS TORQUATUS, Brliun. 

 Great Jforthem Loon, or Diyer. 



a. torquatus. 



Coljimbus torquatus, ButJxx., Orn. Bor. 1764, No. 134.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 

 91.— Lawk., B. N. A. Itud, S88.— Coop. &■ Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1;^6U, 278.— 

 CoUEs, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1861,248; 1862, -227 ; 1864, 21.— CouES, Mem. Bost. 

 8oc. N. H. i, 131 (osteology aud myology). — Coues, Key, 1872,334; and of 

 most late United States writers. 



Cepphus torquatus, Pall., Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, 340. 



Colijiuius glacialis,'Li'sy., Sjst. Nat. 1,1766,221. — Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788,588. — Lath., 

 Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 799.- FonsT., Phii. Trans. Ixii, 1772, 383.— Tem.m.. JIan. Orn. 

 1815, 597.— Stepii., Gen. Zool. xii, 1824, 233, pi. 61.— Gray, Gen. of B. iii, 631.— 

 SuxD., .Svensk. Fogl. pi. 53.— WiLS., Am. Orn. ix, 1824, '^4, pi. 74.— Bp., Svn. 

 1828, 42U ; List, 1838, 65.— Sw. & Rich., F. B. Am. li, 1831, 474.— Nm., Man. 

 ii, 1834, 513.— Aud., Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 43, pi. 306; Syu. 18:i9, 353 ; B. Am. vii, 

 1844, 282, pi. 476.— Giu., B. L. I. 1844, 378 ; and of most authors. 



Eudijt.es ylacialis, Illigei;, Prodrouius, 1811, 282. — Naum., \. D. xii, 1844, 397, jd. 327. 



Eututts rjlacialis, Kaup, 8k. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 144. 



* Admitting the pertinence of the remarks of Suudevall (Jleth. Av. Tent. Disp. 1873) 

 and others ou the question of nomenclature, we do not find it necessary to use Eudijtis 

 of Illiger for the Loons, to leave the name Colymbus for the Grebes. 



