CHAPTER XXXII 



THE ORDER OF WEAK-WINGED DIVING-BIRDS 



PYGOPODES 



With this group, the Class of Birds enters upon a very marked and swift decline from the high 

 types. Another step beyond this Order, and we land among birds so nearly wingless that they are 

 without the power of flight. The birds of the present Order have wings that are small and weak; 

 and while they are able to fly, and also to migrate, they fly feebly in comparison with the cloud- 

 cleaving goose, duck, guli and albatross. Their legs are set far back on their bodies, and on land 

 they have no choice but to stand erect — a posture which is strikingly characteristic of the wing- 

 less sea-birds, generally. 



This Order, as represented in North America, contains but three Families : 



ORDER 

 PYGOPODES. 



FAMILIES. 



Grebes, 

 Loons, . 



EXAMPLES. 



pod-i-cip'1-dae, Pied-Billed Grebe. 

 GAY-l'l-DAE, . Great Northern Diver. 



Atjks and Puffins, auci-dae, 



Razor-Billed Auk; Tufted Puffin; Murre. 



Of these, the first and second are compara- 

 tively well known. The third is composed of 

 birds that are strangers to the great majority 

 of us; but inasmuch as Alaska is constantly 

 being brought nearer to us, it is quite necessary 

 that we should become acquainted with its 

 most prominent forms of bird-life. 



The Pied-Billed Grebe, or "Hell-Diver," 

 also called the Carolina Grebe, 1 is well quali- 

 fied to stand as the representative of the Grebe 

 Family, which in North America contains about 

 six species. It is usually seen in the geographi- 

 cal centre of a quiet pond, sharply watching in 

 every direction for enemies. It is a sad and 

 uncomfortable-looking little creature, destitute 

 of bright and pleasing colors, and also devoid of 

 beauty. At a distance, the hunter is thrilled 

 by the sight of what he gladly thinks is a duck; 

 but on approaching nearer he sighs regretfully, 

 and admits that it is "only a Grebe." If he 

 fires at it, in revenge for the disappointment, 

 the bird is gone before the charge of shot is 

 half way to it, and only an innocent ripple 

 marks its disappearance. 



All the Cirebes are expert long-distance 



1 Pod-i-lym'bus pod'i-ceps. Average length, 12 



iches. 



divers. They can either sink straight down, or 

 dart down head first in a fraction of a second, 

 and remain under water so long a time, and 

 wim so far while submerged, that it is very 

 difficult to follow their movements. Sometimes 

 a Grebe will insinuate only its bill above the 

 surface, in order, to breathe without exposing 

 even its head and neck. It is a waste of time, 

 ammunition and self-respect to shoot and 

 actually kill one of these birds; for they are 

 very commonplace and useless. 



The only redeeming feature about this bird 

 is its breast, which is covered with a thick mass 

 of very persistent feathers, set so tightly in 

 a very tough skin that the evil-eyed milliners 

 once used Grebes' breasts for hat trimmings. 



The nesting habits of the Grebe are remarka- 

 ble and interesting. Instead of choosing a dry 

 situation, where incubation might proceed under 

 the best possible conditions, it frequently chooses 

 a clump of rushes in deep water and builds a 

 floating nest, attached to the rushes. Some- 

 times, however, it selects a spot where the water 

 is very shallow, and builds from the bottom up, 

 using rushes when possible to procure them. 

 In either case, the sodden mass rises only two 

 or three inches above high-water mark, and 



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