The most important birds found in this family are the Great Northern
Diver, the Arctic Diver, Penguins, Auks, Grebes, and Guillemots.
All these Birds are distinguished by wings so thin and short as to be
almost useless for flying. They are all habitual divers and tireless
swimmers, using their wings as Fish do their fins. To raise their wings
after taking a down stroke requires much greater effort than a Bird of
flight makes in raising its wings in the air; for this reason the muscle
in the wings of the Diving Birds has an unusually large development to
give them greater strength.
The Divers are inhabitants of northern seas. There they build their
nests on some solitary island and lay two eggs, oblong in shape and
white in color. Fish, particularly the Herring, are their principal
food, and they are such active swimmers and divers that it takes a quick
eye and hand to shoot them.