CLASS AVES: ORDER PTGOPODES. 



159 



yet ascends or descends apparently without an effort.* Tlie 

 Petrel, sometimes called Mother Carey's Chicken, is espe- 

 cially dreaded by sailors as the harbinger of a storm, f 



ORDER PYGOPODES. 



General Characteristics. — The " Eump-footed " birds 

 have the tibiae buried in the body nearly to the heel. This 

 prevents walking, but favors swimming. Their feet are 

 lobate or palmate, and their plumage is glossy. 



PYGOPODES. 



PALMATE ; ( connected. S •" ' 



t HALLUX I-OBAIEJp^^.^ ^^^^ 



\ FREE. > 



J HALLUX ABSENT. Alcidae, 



PALMATE 

 FEET FOUR-TOED, 



LOBATE ; 



FEET THREE-TOED, 



PALMATE ; 



Pfffin and Auh 



Colymbidse . — The Loon, or 

 Great Northern Diver, in its mature 

 plumage of the fourth year, has- few 

 rivals in beauty. Unable to move 

 on land, except by a constant suc- 

 cession of awkward tumbles, in the 

 water it is a rare swimmer and 

 diver. Usually floating about half 

 submerged, it can at pleasure settle 

 down, showing only its head, or en- 

 tirely sink and, escaping with great 

 swiftness, rise far distant. J 



Podicipidse. — The Grebe § has 

 its toes partly separate and flat, the 



Mg. 2n. 



torguStm, Loon. 



* It is found south of the equator, but there are other species on the western 

 coast of North America. 



t Gleaning its scanty pittance from the whirling surges of the sea and making 

 its appearance in great numbers just before a storm, seeking food and ebelter in 

 the wake of the vessel, it has been charged with creatint^ the tempest. — Its flesh con- 

 tains much oil and the natives of the Faroe islands are said to make a lamp by- 

 drawing a wick through the body of a vei*y fat one, and lighting the end which pro- 

 jects from the beak. 



i Its cry is somewhat like the howling of a wolf, and is thought to portend rain. 



§ The Grebe, the Auk and other aquatic birds are a source of revenue to the 

 people inhabiting the rocky coasts, which they frequent in multitudes. The nefts 



