814 



U. S. p. R, R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



edged, externally, with the same. The primaries and outer secondaries are black ; the latter 

 tipped with paler. 



The female has a compressed occipital and nuchal crest ; the head and neck chestnut brown ; 

 the chin yellowish white ; the upper jjarts entirely bluish gray ; the under parts like the male. 

 The white on the wing is confined to the secondaries and the greater coverts, which are black at 

 the base and brown at the end, producing a bar. The tertials are entirely plumbeous. The 

 brown bar at the end of the greater coverts is sometimes wanting, leaving the speculum white. 



According to Mr. Cassin the American "sheldrake," or goosander, differs from the European 

 in having the prolonged feathers of the head almost restricted to the occiput and neck behind, 

 while in the other species they begin almost at the base of the bill, and are erectile and crest- 

 like. On the greater wing coverts of the American bird there is always an exposed and 

 conspicuous bar of black, which in the European is entirely concealed by the lesser coverts. 

 Bonaparte says that the bill of the American species is shorter and thicker. 



List of specimens. 



MEEGUS SERRATOR, Linn. 



Red-breasted Merganser. 



Mergus serratm; LisN. Syet. Nat. I, 1766, 208.— Gm. I, 546.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 81 ; pi. Ixix.— Bon. Obs. 

 1825, No. 249.— Sw F. Bor. Am. 11, 1831, 462.— Nuttall, Man. U, 1834, 463.— Evton, Moii. 

 1838, 175.— AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 92; pi. 401.— Ib. Sya. 298.— Ib. Birds Am. VI, 1843, 395; 

 pi. 412. 

 Merganser serrator, Steph. Shaw's Geu. Zool. XII, 1824, 165.— Bun. List, 1838. 

 Mergus cridalus and serratm, Bri nn. Orn. Bor. 1764, 23. 

 gp_ Ch. — Featbers of tlie forehead extending on the bill in a ehort obtuse angle, and falling far short of the end of those on the 

 sides; the oulline of the latter sbiping rapiilly forwards, and reaching halfway from tlio posterior end of the lower edge of bill 

 to the nostrils, and far buyoiid tboso ou the sido of lower jaw. Nostrils narrow, posterior ; their posterior outline opp<i8ite the 

 end of basal third of commissure. 



Male. Head with conspicuous pointed occipital crest. Head and upper part of neck, all around, dark green ; under parts 

 reddish white. Jugulum reddish brown, streaked with black. Sides conspicuously barred transversely with fine lines of black. 

 Feathers anterior to wing, white, margined with black. White of wing crossed by two bars of black, 



Female. Head with compressed occipital crest; chestnut brown. Body above ash; beneath reddish white. The black at base 

 of secondaries exposed; outer tertials white, edged with black. 

 Length, 23.25 ; wing, 8.0(1; tarsus, 1.8(1 ; commissure, 2.76. 

 Uab Whole o North America and Europe. 



