Oedee V.— PODICIPEDIFORMES. 
Family— POD ICI PE DID. E. 
Genus— PODICEPS. 
PoDiCEPS Latham, Gen. Syn. SuppL, I., p. 294 (1787) . . P, fluviatilis. 
Golyinbus Illiger, Prodromus, p. 281 (1811) 
Dytes Kaup, Skizz Entw.-Gesch. Nat. Syst., p. 41 (1829) . . 
Pedetaithya ^'6., p. 44 
(Also spelt Pedmithyia^ Pedetaiihyia, Podcethyia, and 
Proctopus id.y ib., p. 49 
Lophaithyia id., ib., p. 72 
(Also spelt Lophcethyia and LopJiaethyia.) 
Sylbeocyclus Bonaparte. 
Dasyptilus Swainson, Class B., II., p. 369 (1837) 
Poliocephalus Selby, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Types Aves, p. 47 
(1840) ** .. .. .. .. .. •• 
Tachybaptus Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. Vog., p. m. (1852).. 
(Also spelt Tachybaptes.) 
P. auritus. 
P. griseigena. 
Podetaithyia.) 
P. nigricollis. 
P. cristatus. 
P. poliocephahis. 
P. poliocephalus. 
P. fluviatilis. 
Otodytes id., ib.y p. m. 
Rollandia Bonaparte, Compt. Rend., XLII., p. 775 (1856) . . 
Calipareus id. {cf. Gray, Handl. B., III., p. 94 (1871) .. 
Colymbetes Heine, Nomencl. Mus. Hein. Orn., p. 364 (1890) 
P. nigricollis. 
P. Tollandi. 
P. calipareus. 
P. poliocephalus. 
Swimming birds, with long, straight bills ; short, rounded wings ; rudimentary 
tail and peculiar, flattened tarsi, and largely lobed toes with broad, flattened 
claws. Bill long, straight, and pointed, sometimes slightly curved at the tip ; 
nostrils pervious, and placed at the base of the upper mandible. Wings very 
short and rounded, the secondaries usually as long as the primaries. Tail rudi- 
mentary, consisting of a tuft of downy feathers, no retrices being distinguishable. 
Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw, compressed so as to form a ridge 
anteriorly and posteriorly, where it is serrated. The toes are flattened and 
surrounded by large lobes of skin, only connected at the base, not contracted 
at the joints. The claws are also flattened, forming part of the lobe ; the 
fourth toe is the longest, the haUux is small and also provided, like the 
others, with a lateral lobe. About twenty-seven species are included in the 
genus. 
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