LOPHODYTES. 89 



21.00-24.00, wing 9.60-9.75, culmen 1.80-2.00, tarsus 1.85-1.90, middle toe 

 2.25-2.40. Eggs 2.63 X 1-82, ovate, or elliptieal-ovate, pale buff, or buffy 

 white. Hah. Whole of North America, breeding south to northern border 

 of United States.. 129. M. americanus (Cass.). American Merganser. 

 g}. Distance between nostinl and nearest feathering on sides of base of upper man- 

 dible decidedly less than height of upper mandible at base ; feathering on 

 sides of base of upper mandible projecting far forward, and forming a very 

 decided, though obtuse, angle. 



Adult male: Head dull greenish black, the occiput with a long pointed 

 crest; neck and sides of chest dull brownish buff, or light cinnamon, 

 streaked with black; other lower parts mainly white, usually tinged 

 with cream- or salmon-color. Adult female : Very similar in coloration 

 to the same sex of M. americanus, but smaller, and very readily distin- 

 guishable by the different position of the nostrils, etc., as noted above. 

 Downy young : Above hair-brown, the posterior border of each wing and 

 a large spot on each side of the rump, yellowish white ; lower parts, 

 including cheeks, yellowish white ; sides of head and neck rusty cinna- 

 mon, paler on lores, which are bordered above by a dusky stripe, and 

 beneath by a dark rictal stripe ; lower ej-elid whitish. Length about 

 20.00-25.00, Aving 8.60-9.00, culmen about 2.50, tarsus 1.80-1.90, middle 

 toe 2.40. Eggs ovate or elliptical-ovate, 2.57 X 1-79, light olive-buff. 

 Hab. jN'orthern portion of northern hemisphere, breeding northward. 



130. M. serrator (Linn.). Red-breasted Merganser. 



Genus LOPHODYTES Eeichenbach. (Page 84, pi. XXL, fig. 3.) 



Species. 



Adult male : Head (except crest), neck, and most of upper parts black ; crest 

 pure white with a sharply defined black border or rim ; lower parts white, the 

 sides of the chest crossed by two black crescentic bars (projected from the black 

 of the back), the sides light cinnamon, finely waved with black. Adidt female : 

 Head (except crest), neck, chest, and upper parts grayish brown, darker above; 

 crest reddish hair-brown or dull cinnamon, smaller and of looser texture than in 

 the male; chin and upper throat, bell}^, etc., white. Young: Similar to adult 

 female, but crest rudimentary, the sides and under tail-coverts more distinctly 

 brown. Boiony young : Above deep hair-brown, darkest on back and rump; hinder 

 border of arm-wing, a small spot on each side of back, and one on each side of 

 rump, grayish white; lower half of head brownish buff or light fulvous, paler on 

 chin and throat; chest light dingy brownish, sides darker; belly white. Length 

 about 17.25-19.25, wing 7.50-7.90, culmen 1.50. Nest in boles in trees, usually at 

 a considerable height. Eggs 6-10, 2.09 X 1-75, broadly oval, white. Hah. North 

 America in general ; north to Alaska and (accidentally) Greenland ; south to 

 Mexico and Cuba ; casual in Europe. 



131. Lr. cucullatus (Linn.). Hooded Merganser. 

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