. The animal kingdom : arranged after its organization; forming a natural history of animals, and an introduction to comparative anatomy. Zoology. Fig. 124.—Sternum of Loon. pointed nails. They are northern birds, which rarely nestle with us, and visit these latitudes in winter, when they are not uncommon upon our coasts. [Tliey have large wings, and fly strongly, but in consequence of the position of the feet, the tibia being quite buried within the integuments, are unable to walk, though they push themselves forward with facility and tolerable speed, trailing upon the belly. They have a shor
. The animal kingdom : arranged after its organization; forming a natural history of animals, and an introduction to comparative anatomy. Zoology. Fig. 124.—Sternum of Loon. pointed nails. They are northern birds, which rarely nestle with us, and visit these latitudes in winter, when they are not uncommon upon our coasts. [Tliey have large wings, and fly strongly, but in consequence of the position of the feet, the tibia being quite buried within the integuments, are unable to walk, though they push themselves forward with facility and tolerable speed, trailing upon the belly. They have a short tail, on the tripod of which and the feet they are enabled to stand upright, and take a wide view around them by means of their long neck : tney utter dismal bowlings; and produce large spotted eggs, two or three in number, which are extremely unlike those of the Grebes. Three species are well known, the whole of which are not rare in Britain. One, as large as a Goose (Col. gla- cialis), the Collared Loon, black above, beautifully spotted with white, with a nearly perfect collar of the same round the neck, and a black head. The second, (C. glacialu), the Black-throated Loon, extremely variable in size, but always smaller than the preceding, with a fuli- ginous grey head, and larger white spots on the upper parts: both of which species have the immature plumage dusky above, with greyish edgings to the feathers : and ' \ the Red-throated Loon (C. septentriunalis), still smaller and much commoner, the ^ ' winter dress of which (and not the immature plumage, which resembles that of the others, is speckled above with numerous small whitish spots bordering the feathers, wliicli wear off in spring, leaving the back spotless blackish ; coincident with which change of appearance, a rufous patch appears in front of the neck. All three are great destroyers offish, and proceed with extreme swiftness under water, in genera) making little use of their wings to assist their progress. They
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwe, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectzoology
