ANATIN.E — THE DUCKS — MERGUS. 



113 



Female. 



(the latter much longer than in the male) more brown, the lores grayish ; chin, throat, and malar 

 region, white; upper parts, sides, and flunks, bluish gray, the inner secondaries white, the exposed 

 portion of the lower greater coverts white, tipped with dusky ; outer secondaries, primary coverts 

 and primaries, uniform slate-color. Lower parts, except laterally, pale creamy salmon-color, fadinf^ 

 to nearly white in dried specimens, 

 the feathers of the jugulum ash-gray 

 beneath the surface. Bill, eyes, and 

 feet, as iu the male, but less brilliant 

 in color. 



Downy young : i Upper half of the 

 head, with nape, reddish brown, more 

 reddish on the nape, where encroach- 

 ing on the sides of the neck ; re- 

 maining upper parts hair-brown or 

 grayish umber, relieved by four white 

 spots, one on the posterior border of 

 each wing, and one on each side the 

 rump ; lower parts white ; a stripe 

 on the lower half of the lores, run- 

 ning back beneath the eye, white ; 

 below this a narrower stripe of deep 

 brown, from the rictus back to the 



auricular region ; a wide stripe, occupying the upper half of tlie lore, from the bill to the eye, 

 blackish brown, this separated from the umber of the forehead by a very indistinct streak of 

 brownish white or pale brown. 



Adult male: Total length, about 27 inches, extent, 3(3 ; wing, 10.50-11.25; culmen, 1.90-2.20; 

 tarsus, 1.90-2.00 ; middle toe, 2.40-2.50. Adult female : Total length, about 24 inches, extent, 34 ; 

 wing, 9.60-9.75; culmen, 1.80-2.00; tar.sus, 1.85-1.90; middle toe, 2.25-2.40. 



We can perceive no difference of coloration between American and European specimens of this 

 species, further than that adult males of the former have the black at the ba.se of the greater wing- 

 coverts exposed, so as to form a very distinct band about half way across the wing, while in those 

 of the latter this black is entirely concealed by the overlying middle coverts. There is, however, 

 a difference in the proportions of the bill in the two forms which nuxy prove of specific importance. 

 In the females, this difference in the bill is the only obvious distinguishing character. 



The North American Goosander bears very close resemblance to the European 

 form, and by most writers the two are regarded as being the same species. It is 

 generally known in all parts of the country as the "Sheldrake," and is not infre- 

 quently confounded with the Eed-breasted Merganser — from which it differs, how- 

 ever, in its larger size, as well as in certain peculiarities of its habits and distribution ; 

 moreover, wdiile the Red-breasted Merganser is a more maritime species, the Goosander 

 prefers inland lakes and rivers. 



The last-named species is found nearly throughout North America, breeding from 

 about latitude 42° N. to the extreme points of the Fur Country, and in the winter 

 months occurring throughout the continent. 



Sir John Richardson describes this bird as making a nest of withered grass and 

 feathers in the manner of Ducks in unfrequented places ; but in this he may have been 

 misinformed, or may have confounded the serrator with this species. Or it may be 

 true of Ducks that breed in regions where there are few hollow trees to nest in. This 

 Duck is said to be one of the last of the Jnatidce to move south in the fall. 



Mr. Hearne, in his Arctic journey, makes mention of the Goosander — which is 



1 Described from No. 5783, Bridger's Pass, Rocky Mountains, Aug. 13, 1856; AV. S. AVooD. Distin- 

 guishable with certainty from the jouug of 31. serrator by the different position of the nostril. 

 VOL. II. — 15 



