.Inly, 1914 
PECULIAR DEATPI OF CALIFORNIA BUSH-TIT 
169 
Tliis beautiful and, to the writer, unusual covering of the nest was quite 
sufficient to invite still closer examination, and the most unusual feature was 
yet to be discovered. On drawing down the supporting branches to facilitate 
closer inspection, I was surprised to observe tlie tail and wing-tips of a hiish- 
tit projecting from the side of the nest a couple of inches to the left of the 
entrance. Upon investigation I found that one of the little nest builders, for 
some reason which seems difficult to explain, had apparently attempted to 
tunnel through the side of the nest and, becoming entangled in the net-like 
structure to such extent that it could not free itself, had perished. The biid 
was thoroughly dried when found, so the nest was brought in and photo- 
graphed (see fig. 49). The tail and Avings of the dead bird aauII be seen pro- 
jecting from the nest a little to the left of the entrance. 
The nest contained five eggs, three of which were broken. They had ap- 
parently been deposited at least two weeks previously, Avhich would indicate 
a rather early nesting date for the species. 
Los Angeles, California, May 6, iQH- 
ON THE OOLOGY OF THE NORTH AMERICAN PYGOPODES 
By DR. R. W. SHUFELDT 
AVITH FIVE PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR 
T aken collectively, the loons and grebes form a natural Supersuborder 
of birds, created to contain the Suborder Fygopodes, which latter is 
represented by turn families, namely the Colymhidae or Grebes, and the 
Gaviidae or Loons. 
In my paper on “An Arrangement of the Families and Higher Groups of 
Birds,” which appeared some time ago in The American Naturalist (Ami. 
xxxviii, nos. 455-456, Nov.-Dee., 1904), the loon family bore the name of 
Urinatoridae, Avhich, be it knoAvn, is co-equal Avith the family here called Gav- 
iidae; Avhile the grebes, formerly called the Fodicipidae, are, as an assemblage, 
noAV knoAvn as the Colynihidae. This constant changing of names, though 
doubtless necessary, is very inconvenient and confusing for the ornithologists 
of the present day; and every one Avill surely rejoice AAdien avian nomenclature 
eventually becomes fixed. 
For years the common loon Avas known as Colymbus torquatus; and noAV 
Colymbus, in modeim American ornithological works, is only applied to the 
grebes, while the loons are all relegated to the genus Gavia. Why the last- 
named, as a family {Gaviidae) , should, in a Suborder {Cepplii), be arrayed with 
the auks {Alcidae), as is the case in the classification adopted in the last edi- 
tion of “The A. 0. U. Cheek-List of North American Birds,” is, to me, quite in- 
comprehensible. Morphologically, a grebe and a loon are Amry much alike ; 
Avhile a loon is, structurally, quite a different bird from any species of auk 
knoAvn to me. 
In the present article I am to present some notes I have made and illus- 
trated Avith photographs of the eggs of our grebes and loons, much as Avas done 
in another contribution of mine, Avhich appeared in a former issue of The Con- 
dorI, devoted to the eggs of the North American limicoline birds. 
1. SHUFEBDT, R. W. An Introduction to the Study of the Eggs of the North American I.imicolae. The 
Condor, vol. xv, no. 4. July-August, 1913, pp. 138-151; illustrated by 54 reproductions of photos of eggs of the 
shore-birds. 
