HOODED MERGANSER 307 



water streams and lakes, breeding in northern Xew England 

 and occurring as a migrant or winter visitant on streams 

 and lakes. The Red-breasted Merganser is a common win- 

 ter visitant off the sea-coast. Both of these species get their 

 food by diving and pursuing fish under water ; both when 

 flying sliow large areas of white in the wings. A third spe- 

 cies, the Hooded Merganser, is a rare summer resident in 

 northern New England and a rather uncommon migrant 

 in the rest of New England and in New York. 



Hooded Merganser. Lojyhodytes cucullatus 



17.50 



Ad. $. — Head, neck, and upper back black, a hroad white 

 patch extending from back of the eye backward, with a narrow 

 black border, forming a crest which is either erected or extended 

 backward ; two black bands before the bend of the wing ; flanks 

 reddish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; wing-patch and long 

 feathers on the back white. Ad. 9. — Throat light; rest of head, 

 ■with bushy crest, dull reddish-brown ; rest of upper parts sooty- 

 brown ; wing with a white bar ; flanks dark ; rest of under parts 

 white. Im. $ . — Head and neck light brown ; crest brownish- 

 white, with brown edge ; otherwise like 9 • 



Nest, in holes in trees. Eggs, white. 



The Hooded Merganser breeds in some of the lakes in 

 northern and eastern Maine, and in northeastern New 

 Hampshire ; elsewhere in New England and New York it 

 is a rather uncommon migrant in October, March, and 

 April, and a rare winter visitant. It occurs on inland 

 streams and ponds, and is noted for the speed of its flight. 

 The male can be confused only with the Buffle-head, but 

 should be distinguished by the long slender bill, and by 

 the fact that the white patch in the crown does not reach 

 the top of the head, particularly when the crest is not 

 erected. The Merganser's flanks, moreover, are brown ; the 

 Buffle-head's snowy white. The female has the character- 

 istic merganser head, with a long bill and loose crest 



