52 HISTORY OF THE 



white, the lower part of the neck and jugnhini brownish white, with the feathers 

 mouse gray beneath the surface; black at base of secondaries exposed, forming 

 a narrow bar between two white areas. Downy young: . Above, hair brown; the 

 posterior border of eacli w'iug and a large spot on each side of the rump yellow- 

 ish white; lower parts, including the malar region, yellowish white; side of head 

 and neck reddish cinnamon, paler on the lores, which are bordered above by a 

 dusky stripe running back to the anterior angle of the eye, and below by a dark 

 brown, rather indistinct, rictal stripe; lower eyelid white." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 23.50 83.50 9.25 4.00 l.So 2.40 



Female... 21.50 31.50 8.75 3.50 1.80 2.20 



The birds are found throiigliout the interior, but not as com- 

 mon as upon or near the seacoast. During the winter months 

 I have seen a few of the birds at San Diego, and found them 

 abundant in Puget Sound, also in the Bay of Fundy, and breed- 

 ing on Grosse Isle, one of the Magdalen group, in the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence. 



In their food habits similar to the Buff-breasted. Their nests 

 are placed upon the ground, near the water, and usually in a 

 thick growth of grass, composed of leaves, moss and grass, and 

 lined with down and feathers. Eggs usually eight to ten, 2.56 

 xl.77; cream drab, with an olive tinge; in form, ovate to ellip- 

 tical ovate. 



Genus LOPHODYTES Reichenbach. 



"Bill shorter than the head, black; serrations compressed, low, short, in- 

 serted obliquely on the edge of the bill. Tail more than half as long as the 

 wings. Tarsus about two-thirds as long as the longest toe with claw. Head 

 with a full, semicircular, compressed crest of hair-like feathers." 



Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.). 



HOODED MERGANSER. 

 PLATE IV. 



Resident; rare; common in winter. Begin laying the last of 

 April. 



B. 613. E. 638. C. 745. G. 302, 22. U. 131. 



Habitat. North America in general, south to Mexico and 

 Cuba, north to Alaska, accidental in Greenland, casual in Eu- 

 rope; breeding nearly throughout its range. 



Sp. Chak. ^* Adult male: Head, neck, back and scapulars black; crest 

 chiefly pure white, but bordered by a distinct ' rim ' of black; forehead and feath- 

 ers round the base of bill dark fuliginous, but this blending insensibly into the 



