226 
PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 
the middle of the wings a common white band, commencing on the costa of 
primaries, with a large spot cut into three by the nervures, followed by a sec- 
ond, oval, separated from the first by a wide space, and out of the line in the di- 
rection of the inner angle ; after this the band is uninterrupted except by the 
nervures, and diminishes to a point a little! within the abdominal margin, 
on the arc of primaries a narrow, transverse, ferruginous band, and another 
in the cell, each edged on either side by a black wavy line; a similar line 
mid-way between these bands ; the cell and costa next base have a dull 
green tinge; at anal angle a black spot within a fulvous lunule ; fringe. brown, 
white in the emarginations. 
Under side pale brown, with a bronze lustre on secondaries; primaries have 
a broad hind margin, crenatednext the inner angle, with a faint, pale blue line 
running through it and edged anteriorly by a narrow, pale blue band ; the yel- 
low spot as above, but paler; below this and between the marginal and white 
bands, smoky black ; the white band as above but a little enlarged ; the bars 
in the cell larger and fulvous ; inner margin next base greyish ; hind margin 
of secondaries narrower than that of primaries, wholly crenated, with a pale 
blue line running through it and bordered anteriorly by a broad, pale blue band; 
the white band is edged without, and near its point suffused with light pur- 
ple ; inside the band to the base, are alternate, irregular, transverse bands of 
purple and lustrous yellow brown ; abdominal margin pale blue ; the nervures 
much bordered by purple or blue scales ; body above olive brown; beneath, 
bluish white ; antennas and club dark brown. 
Female scarcely differs from the male. 
California, from Dr. H. Behr. 
Synopsis of the North American Forms of the GOLYMEIDiE and 
PODICIPIDiE. 
BY ELLIOTT COUES.* 
Family COLYMBIDiE. 
Char. Feathers of forehead reaching to the nostrils. Nostrils narrow and 
linear ; their upper edge with a dependent lobe. Lores densely feathered. 
Tertials short and stiff. Tail fully developed. Tarsus and toes covered with 
small, regular, polygonal, reticulated plates. Tibise feathered on the joint. 
Toes fully webbed. Claws strong, narrow, oblong, very convex superiorly. 
Posterior edge of tarsus smooth, formed by a single row of very convex over- 
lapping scales. Lobe of hind toe moderate. Size large ; general form stout 
and strong ; body robust ; neck short and thick, without crests or raffs ; the 
back spotted. 
Genus Colymbus Linnaeus, 
Colymhus , Linn. 1735, et auct. nec 111. 1811 ; nec Pallas, 1811 ; necBriss. 1784. 
tCepphns, Mcehring, 1752, secundum G. R. Gray. 
Cepphus, Pallas, 1811, partim. 
Mergus, Brisson, 1764, fide G. R. Gray ; nec auct. 
* The great accession of new material in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution 
has furnished the means of making some additions and corrections to the last account of 
the Loons and Grebes of North America — that by Mr. Lawrence in the General Report. 
The writer having lately been occupied, in connection with Dr. Geo. Suckley, U. S. A., 
in the preparation of a Government Report, took the opportunity to institute a thorough 
revision of the two families. The results of that investigation will be found in full in 
the Report alluded to; but as it may be some time before its publication, it has been 
thought advisable to issue in advance this brief synopsis. Particular attention has been 
paid to the characters of the families and subfamilies, and to the arrangement of the 
species under their appropriate genera. 
[April, 
