NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Order PYGOPODES— The Diving Birds. 



(Page 1) 

 Families. 

 a 1 . Tail-feathers wanting. 



Anterior toes lobed, the nails very broad, flat, and with rounded tips. (Sub- 

 order Podicipedes) Podicipidae. (Page 4.) 



a 4 . Tail-feathers present, but short. (Suborder Cepphi.) 



b 1 . Hind toe present Urinatoridse. (Page 6.) 



b\ Hind toe absent Alcidae. (Page 8.) 



Family PODICIPIDiE.— The Grebes. (Page 4.) 



Nest a thick matted platform of rushes, sedges, etc., usually floating upon the 

 surface of the water in grassy or sedgy ponds or marshes. Eggs 2-5, dull white, 

 bluish white, or very pale bluish green, usually stained more or less (often quite 

 deeply) with light brown, by contact with decomposed vegetable matter. 



Genera. 



a\ Bill slender, the length of the culmen much more than twice the depth at the 

 base. 

 b 1 . Length of culmen five or more times as much as greatest depth of the bill ; 



neck nearly as long as the body .ffichmophorus. (Page 4.) 



b 2 . Length of culmen less than four times as much as greatest depth of the bill ; 



neck much shorter than the body Colymbus. (Page 5.) 



a 2 . Bill very stout, the length of the culmen less than twice as much as the greatest 

 depth of the bill Podilymbus. (Page 6.) 



Genus .ffiCHMOPHORUS Cotjes. (Page 4, pi. I., fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Pileum and cervix slaty black ; rest of upper parts slaty, 

 inner webs of remiges chiefly white; entire lower parts, including lower half of 

 head and all of neck except stripe down the cervix, pure satiny white. Downy 

 young : Above uniform brownish gray, lighter anteriorly ; lower parts uniform white. 



a 1 . Length 24.00-29.00 inches; wing 7.45-8.50 (average 8.07); culmen 2.60- 

 3.05 (2.78). Eggs 2-5, 2.40 X 1.54. Hab. "Western North America 

 (chiefly the interior) from Mexico and Lower California to Manitoba. 



1. JE. occidentalis (Lawr.). "Western Grebe. 



a\ Length about 22.00 inches ; wing 6.70-7.75 (7.31) ; culmen 2.10-2.48 (2.25). 

 Eggs 2-5, 2.16x1-41. Sab. "Western North America, chiefly along Pacific 

 coast —.M. clarkii (Lawr.). Clark's Grebe. 



