COLYMBUS ARCTICUS, BLACK-TUROATED DIVER. 723 



Tbero is soinetliiiig very curious iu the relationships that many birds of the families 

 Coli/mhidce and PodicipuUv bear to each other. Most of the specieK are, as it were, dupli- 

 cated ; that is, there is another scarcely differing except in the size, one being the 

 frateraile, or "little brother," of the other. This fact is easily illustrated, taking our 

 several species as esamx)le8. Our common Loon is the fraterciile of C, acHmsii, describeil 

 by Mr. Gray, in 1859, from Russian, and lately found extensively dispersed in British 

 America. It is larger than torquaius, with a relatively as vrell as absolutely larger bil), 

 diifurt-iitly shaped, and mostly yellow instead of wholly lilack; there are also some 

 differences in the coloration of the plumage. The Pacific Uiver is the smaller repre- 

 fentative of the Black-throated ; it has also a disproportionately smaller and sleDderer 

 bill. It was first described by Mr. Lawrence, in 18.58, from young birds taken on the 

 Pacific coast of the United States ; but since that time great numbers of the adults 

 have been secured, my examination of which has convinced me that the only differ- 

 ences are those just stated. The Red-throated Loon also has its smaller race, though 

 I am not aware that it has been formally recognized ; I have seen some full-grown ones 

 scarcely two-thirds the average size. Among the Grebes the rule is finely illustrated in 

 the cases of P. occidentalis and P. darl^ii. All the American Red-necked Grebes I have seen 

 have been larger, and otherwise different from the European P. (jrisrigena, I recognize 

 them asvarietally distinct under Reinhardt's name of P. hoWvUi. There are said to lie 

 similar races of the Horned Grebes (P. cormitus), but here the difference is not very 

 evident. The American and European Eared Grebes are singularly correlated : while 

 of the same size, they diflfer constantly in the amount of white on the wing, as I showed 

 some years since, in separating our bird, undel" the name of P. caUfornicns, from P. au- 

 ritiis. ' There are relations of corresjioncling character between the Dabchick of Europe 

 {Sylbcoajclua minor) and that of Central America (S. dominicus) ; between the North and 

 South American Dabchick ( Podilymhus podiceps and P. antarcUctis) ; while among exotic 

 forms several geographical races or subspecies are easily recognized. 



The Pacific Diver, as its name indicates, is confined to the West, and 

 in the United States chiefly to the coast itself; but it occurs abundantly 

 iu Western British America. With ns it is only known as a winter res- 

 ident, at which season it reaches our extreme southern border, if not 

 still further; iu the spriuj? it passes north, and breeds as high as ex- 

 plorers have penetrated. I had rare opportunities of studying these 

 birds while I was in Southern California, iu November, 1865. They 

 were very plentiful about the baj' of San Pedro. The first thing that 

 attracted my attention was their remarkable familiarity ; they were tamer 

 than any other water-fowl I have seen. They showed no concern at the 

 near approach of a boat, scarcely availed themselves of the powers of 

 diving, in which the whole family excels, and I had no trouble in shoot- 

 ing as many as I wanted. They even came up to the wharves, and 

 played about as unconcerned as domestic Ducks ; they constantly swam 

 ^around the vessels lying at anchor In the harbor, and all their motions, 

 Doth on and under the clear water, could be studied to as much advan- 

 tage as if the birds had been placed in artificial tanks for the i)urpose. 

 Now two or three would ride lightly over the surface, with the neck 

 gracefully curved, propelled with idle strokes of their broad paddles to 

 this side and that, one leg after the other stretched at ease almost hori- 

 zontally backward, while their flashing eyes, first directed upward with 

 curious sidelong glance, then peering into the depths below, sought for 

 some attractive morsel. In an instant, with the peculiar motion, impos- 

 sible to describe, they would disappear beneath the surface, leaving a 

 little foam and bubbles to mark where they went down, and I could 

 follow their course under water ; see them shoot with marvellous swift- 

 ness through the limpid element, as, urged by powerful strokes of the 

 webbed feet and beats of the half opened wings, they iiew rather than 

 swam ; see them dart out the arrow-like bill, transfix an unlucky fish, 

 and lightly rise to the surface again. While under water, the bubbles 

 of air carried down with them cling to the feathers, and they seem be- 

 spangled with glittering jewels, borrowed for the time from their native 

 element, and lightly parted with as they leave it, when they arrange 

 their feathers with a slight shiver, shaking off the last sparkling drop. 



