Genus II.— PODICEPS, Lath. GREBE. 
Bill about the length of the head, or shorter, straight, rather stout, much 
compressed, tapering, pointed ; upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate 
and more or less convex toward the end, the ridge convex, the sides erect 
and somewhat convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow ; nasal 
groove rather long, extending to nearly half the length of the mandible, 
feathered at the base ; nostrils linear-elliptical, basal, rather small, pervious ; 
lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line 
ascending and straight, the sides erect and slightly convex, the edges sharp 
and involute, the tip acute. Head of moderate size, oblong, narrowed 
before ; neck rather long and slender ; body long, depressed. Feet short, 
large, placed close to the extremity of the body ; tibia feathered to the joint ; 
tarsus extremely compressed, its anterior edge with a row of small scutella, 
the sides broadly scutellate, the posterior ridge with a double row of small 
prominent scales ; toes four, fii'st very small, with a posterior membrane, 
fourth longest, all scutellate, the anterior connected at the base by mem- 
branes, and having on both sides an expanded web-like margin, marked 
with oblique lines. Claws flat, that of the third toe broadest. Plumage 
very soft and blended, on the lower parts dusky. Wings small, acute, 
curved, the second primary longest, the first little shorter ; secondaries short 
and rounded. Tail a slight tuft of loose feathers, fourteen in number. 
Tongue slender, trigonal, pointed ; oesophagus of moderate width ; proven- 
triculus very large, ovate ; stomach extremely large, roundish, its muscular 
coat thin ; the epithelium thick, soft, rugous : a small pyloric sac ; intestine 
of moderate length and width ; coeca rather long, slender ; cloaca very 
large, globular. Bronchi with the rings entire and ossified. 
