PODICIPID^, — CXXIV. 215 



Family CXXIV. PODICIPID^. (The Grebes.) 



Bill slender, or stout ; lores naked ; head often with crests, ruffs 

 or ear tufts in the breeding season. Under plumage dense, lustrous, 

 mostly white. Wings very short ; tail rudimentary, without dis- 

 tinct quills. Feet four-toed, lobate, the toes webbed at base ; toes 

 flattened, provided with flat claws resembling human nails ; tarsus 

 scutellate, compressed. Genera 2 ; species about 20 ; in all parts 

 of the world, chiefly about fresh waters; nest usually a floating 

 mat of rushes. 



u. Bill slender, straight, rather acute ; its length more than twice its depth 

 at base ; head in breeding season with conspicuous crests or ruff. 



b. Neck nearly as long as body jEchmophorus, 318. 



bb. Neck much shorter than body. ........ Coltmbus, 319. 



oo. Bill stout, somewhat hooked ; its length not quite twice its greatest depth ; 

 no rufi nor crest Podilymbus, 320. 



318. iECHMOPHORUS Coues. (aixfuj, spear ; <f>6pos, bearing.) 



626. Si. ocoidentalis (Lawrence). Western Grebe. Slate- 

 color ; satin-white below. L. 26. W. 8. B. 2f. Minn, to Mexico 

 andW. 



319. COLYMBUS Linnseus. (icoAu/i/Sof, diver.) 

 «. Bill about as long as head. (Colymhus.) 



627. C. holboUi (Reinhardt). Red-necked Grebe. Upper 

 parts brown ; front and sides of neck brownish red ; head ashy 

 gray, its top blackish ; crests and ruffs not large ; below silvery, 

 the feathers gray within. L. 18. W. 8. B. 2. N. Am., U. S. 

 in winter. (To the Danish naturalist, C. Holbbll.) 



aa. Bill much shorter than head. (Dytes Kaup.) 



628. C. auritusL. Horned Grebe. Dark brown ; head glossy 

 black in ^ ; a buffy patch above and behind eye ; fore-neck, 

 breast and sides brownish red ; bill compressed, deeper than wide 

 at base, black, tipped with yellow ; ruffs very large, in dense tufts. 

 L. 14. W. 6. B. 3|. N. U. S. and N. (£«.) (Lat., having 

 large ears.) 



629. C. nigricoUia (Brehm). Eared Grebe. Crest of $ in 

 the form of a fan-shaped patch ; head, throat and breast black in 

 (J ; bill depressed, wider than deep at base. L. 13. W. 5|. 

 Northern regions, the American var. califomicus Heermann (W. 

 U. S., E. to HI.), with inner webs of inner quills dusky. (Eu.) 

 (Lat., niger, black; collum, neck.) 



320. PODILYIffBUS Lesson. (Podiceps-Colymbus.) 



630. P. podiceps (L.). Diedapper. Dab-chick. Hell-diver. 

 Water Witch. Pied-billed Grebe. Chiefly brownish gray ; 

 silvery ash below, spotted with dusky ; chin and throat black ; bill 



