306 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



Hooded Merganser 



and Avidely separated behind. 

 The female is smaller, has a 

 smaller, rusty - brown crest 

 and a grayish-brown back, 

 with nearly white belly and 

 grayish breast. The other 

 fish ducks prefer running, 

 dashing waters, this one the 

 quiet pools and lakes ; the 

 others are " fishy," but this 

 is palatable. 



Length, 18; wing, 7^ (7-8); 

 tail, 4; tarsus, 1}; culmen, 1^. 

 North America, south to Mex- 

 ico and Cuba ; breeding mainly 

 throughout, and wintering in most 

 sections of the United States. 



ORDER XIV. TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS 

 iSTEGANOPODES) 



An order of swimming birds with the four toes connected 

 by webbing; nostrils small or none; bill without lamellae; 

 throat usually furnished with a ])ouch. 



FAMILY LI. MAN-0'-\VAU HIRDS (FREGATID^) 



A very small family (2 si)eoies) of \evy large, marine birds 

 of tropical seas, Avith long, forked tails, and unexcelled length 

 of wing. They surpass all other birds in their power of flight, 

 and are found hundreds of miles from shore, apparently inde- 

 pendent of solid earth. They poise for hours on motionless 

 wings, facing the wind, sometimes at great heights, above the 

 storms. Their legs are so small and weak that they can 

 scarcely swim or walk, and they cannot dive. They obtain 

 all their food while on the Aving, gracefidly darting beneath 

 the surface of the water for fish, or often capturing those 

 which, chased by enemies below, leap for a moment into the 



