112 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



In the winter, most of the birds of this species 

 which are seen in Massachusetts appear to be 

 full-plumaged males, while in summer the few 

 which remain with us appear to be females. 

 Some of them, however, may be males in the 

 " eclipse " plumage. I have noticed that practi- 

 cally all the birds seen in winter in Florida are 

 females or young. This, together with the fact 

 that most of those seen in Massachusetts in 

 winter are males, seems to indicate that the hardy 



males do not go so far south in winter as do 

 the females and young. 



The Red-breasted Mergansers feed largely on 

 fish, diving and charging through the schools of 

 small fish, which they seize and hold fast with 

 their saw-toothed bills. Thoreau notes that he 

 saw Sheldrakes (presumably of this species) 

 chasing fish by both swimming and flying along 

 the surface. A few shell-fish are eaten at times. 

 Edw,\rd Howe Forbusii, in Game Birds, 

 \]"ild-Fo7^'l and Shore Birds. 



Courtesy ut b. A. Lottndge 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 



A swift and rather silent flyer, and an exceedingly expert diver 



HOODED MERGANSER 



Lophodytes cucullatus (Liniiu-iis) 



A. O. U. .Vuniber rji .See Color I'latc ii 



Other Names. — Hooded Sheldrake ; l.ittle. Wood, 

 Swamp, Pond, Mud. Picka.x. or Summer, Sheldrake; 

 Little Fishing, or Fish, Duck; Little Saw-bill Duck; 

 Saw-bill Diver; Round-crested Duck; Fan-crested 

 Duck; Tree Duck; Wood Duck; Spike-bill; Hairy- 

 crown ; Hairy-head ; Moss-head ; Tow-head ; Tadpole ; 

 Water Pheasant. 



General Description. — Leiigtii, 17' < inches. Males 

 are black above and white below ; females are grayish- 

 brown above and whitish below. Bill, narrow and thin. 

 The adult male has a thin semi-circular crest capable 

 of being opened or shut like a fan. 



Color. — .Adult M.^le : Head, neck, and upper parts, 

 black shading to brown on lower back ; crest, mostly 

 white with narrow black border behind and zvider black 



space in front; the white extending a little below level 

 of eyes; breast and under parts, white, invading the 

 black area just in front of wings by two broad streaks; 

 a white speculum with two black bars formed by the 

 outer webs of secondaries and greater coverts; inner 

 secondaries, black with white center stripes; sides below, 

 regularly and finely waved with rufous and black; 

 under tail-coverts, waved with dusky; bill, black; feet, 

 yellowish; iris, yellow. Adult Fem.^le: Crest bushy; 

 head and neck, grayish-chestnut, browner on crown ; 

 back and sides, dusky-brown, the feathers with paler 

 edges not waved ; speculum of wing, smaller and crossed 

 by only one dark bar; throat and under parts in gen- 

 eral, whitish ; bill, dusky, orange at base below ; feet, 

 brownish. 



