OF ORNITHOLOGY 135 



The synonymy of the Petrels, all things considered, is one 

 apparently of strange inconsistency, and I would not advise 

 the young student to bother ranch over it. Professor Baird 

 added Dcuption and Fregetta to the family, and he gives a sub- 

 genus for nearly every individual species besides. The 

 names Procellaria, Fulmarus, Thalassidromas, and Pujjinus, 

 were used by old writers as synonyms, generally for the whole 

 sub-family and in their present restricted sense. 



FAMILY LX COLYMBIDAE THE LOOMS 



Greek kolumbos, Latin colymbus, " a kind of water fowl." 

 The Loons might at first be somewhat puzzling to a novice, 

 were he not familiar with both the name and the general form 

 from his childhood's picture books. When flying high in the 

 air, they are easily mistaken for the Canada Goose unless one 

 is quite familiar with the appearance of both birds. It is on 

 the water that the Loon is in his native element. They swim 

 with ease and grace ; dive at the flash of the gun ; and swim 

 long distances under the water, apparently without very great 

 exertion. They only take wing when compelled to, prefer- 

 ring to escape their pursuers by diving. They are easily dis- 

 tinguishable when examined closely : The long, stout, com- 

 pressed, straight, and sharp-tipped bill ; long, narrow, and 

 lobed nostrils ; strong and long-pointed wings ; short, thick 

 tail ; legs situated very far back making it difficult for them 

 to walk on land ; toes all present, webbed ; these features tell 

 the Loo7is at once. They are usually spotted black and white 

 above, and pure white beneath. Their curiously harsh and 

 fiendish cry has struck terror into the heart of many a camper- 

 out quietly taking bis first outing by the side of some cool 

 inland lake or stream. There is but a single genus. 



Genus, Colymbus, 5 species. 



The old-time Eudytes or Eudites are not now in nse except for references. 



FAMILY LXI PODICIPIDAE THE GREBES 



Latin podex buttox, and pes foot ; bnttox-footed. 

 The Grebes, though strongly resembling the Loons in very 



