NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 
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Family PODICIPIDiE. 
Char.. Feathers of forehead not reaching to the nostrils. Nostrils linear, 
oblong, sometimes quite broadly oval, without dependent lobe. Lores naked. 
Tertials long, reaching to the tip of the primaries in the closed wings. Tail 
rudimentary. Tarsus and toes covered with regular, long, narrow, transverse 
scutellce. Toes lobed, connected at base by a membrane. Tibiae feathered to 
the joint. Claws weak, broad, short, flat. Posterior edge of tarsus serrated, 
formed by a double row of small, pointed scales. Lobe of hind toe large. Size 
moderate, or very small ; general form rather slender ; body depressed ; neck 
long ; crests or ruffs usually present ; the back never spotted. 
The preceding diagnosis expresses very briefly the more prominent charac- 
ters of a group of birds composing the subfamily Podicipince of modern authors. 
It corresponds with the Colymbi pedibus palmatis and pedibus lobatis of Gmelin, 
nearly with the Cepphi and Colymbi of Pallas, and with the genera Coly mbits 
and Podiceps of Latham. Although related to the Colymbidce in most points 
of structure and habits, they nevertheless differ in so many and so essential 
characters, that a single family cannot, without great latitude of definition, 
contain the two groups. We have, therefore, restricted the Colymbidce to the 
Colymbince of authors, and raised the Podicipince to the rank of a distinct 
family. 
Two subfamilies are represented in North America. 
Subfamily PODICIPINCE. 
Char. Bill moderately stout, or very slender. Commissure not abruptly 
decurved at the end. Nostrils linear. Bare loral space narrow and linear. 
Feathers of the head with their shafts normal. Tarsus at le'ast three-fourths 
the middle toe ; generally but little, if any, shorter. Toes connected at base 
for a moderate distance, the lobe of the hind toe broad. Usually (always ?) 
with more or less conspicuous crests and ruffs. 
Genus I. CEchmophorus Cones. N. G. 
Gen. Char. Bill very long, exceeding the head, straight or very slightly 
recurved, slender, attenuated towards the tip, which is very acute. Culmen 
straight or slightly concave. Commissure about straight. Gonys convex 
throughout its whole length, the angle scarcely appreciable. Nasal groove 
long, shallow, and narrow. Bare loral space very narrow. Wings rather 
long, pointed, the outer primaries much attenuated. Legs very long. Tarsus 
as long as the middle toe and claw, exceeding the bill, excessively com- 
pressed. Outer lateral toe much longer than the middle. Lobes united at 
base for a very short distance. Size large ; body slender ; neck very long. 
Head with moderate crests, but without decided ruffs ? 
Type. Podiceps occidentalism Lawr. 
1. iECHMOPHORUS OCCIDENTALIS (Lawr.) 
Podiceps occidentalism Lawr. 1858. 
Char . Length about 29 inches ; wing 8*25 ; bill or tarsus 3*00. Bill equal 
to tarsus, straight, dark colored, except terminally and along the cutting 
edges. Gonys straight from base to angle, and nearly so from angle to tip. 
Feathers between eye and nostril grayish ash. 
Habitat. Pacific coast of North America. 
2. JEchmophorus Clarkii (Lawr). 
Podiceps Clarkii, Lawr. 1858. 
Char. Much smaller than A. occidentalis. Length 22 inches ; wing 7 ; 
bill 2-25 ; tarsus 2*75 ; bill rather shorter than tarsus, exceedingly acute, 
slightly recurved ; the gonys regularly much curved from base to tip, the 
angle scarcely apparent. Feathers between eye and nostril white. 
Habitat. Pacific coast of North America. 
1862.] 
