Hooded Merganser 35 



It nests in holes in trees and stumps near the banks 

 of lakes, and lines its nest with grasses, feathers and 

 down. When the young birds are hatched they are 

 carefully transported to a secluded pool by the mother, 

 who carries them in her bill by the neck or wing. 

 The eggs, 6 to 10 or even more, are white or buffy and 

 measure 2- 05 x 1"70. 



Subfamily ANATIN^E. 

 The river Ducks have a broad flattened bill with fine 

 comb-like lamellse in both mandibles ; the tarsi are 

 scutellate, and shorter than the middle toe without claw ; 

 the hallux is without a lobe, and the sexes are generally 

 unlike. 



IVEY OF THE GeNERA AND SpECIES. 



A. Bill distinctly spatulate, broad at the end, narrow at the base 



(Spatula). S. clypeata, p. 46. 



B. BiU more or less parallel-sided, not spoon-shaped. 



a. Tail graduated for more than one-third of its total length, 



tail-feathers sharp-pointed, 

 a^ Fourteen tail-feathers ; speculum green and black 

 (Mareca). M. americana, p. 40. 



b^ Sixteen tail-feathers. 



a* Bill longer than the middle toe without claw ; tail very 

 long and produced in adult male (Dafila). 



D. acuta, p. 47. 



b^ Bill shorter than the middle toe without claw ; speculum 



white {Chaulelasmus). C. streperus, p. 38. 



b. Tail graduated less than one-third of its total length ; tail 



feathers sharp-pointed, 

 a^ Larger, wing over 8 {Anas). 



a? Head and neck glossy green. A. platyrhynchos, p. 36. 



(? in winter, 

 b^ Head streaked with fuscous and bufiy. 



a^ Below mottled, dusky and grey. A. platyrhynchos, p. 36. 



S in eclipse and ? 

 b' Below mottled, dusky and brown. A. f. maculosa, p. 38. 

 b^ Smaller, wing under 8. 



a" No blue on wing ; speculum green (Nettion). 



N. carolinensis, p. 41. 



D 2 



