816 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SDRVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



LOPHODYTES CUCULLATUS, Reich. 



Hooded Merganser. 



Mergm cucidlaius, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 207. — Gmelin, I, 544. — Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 79; pi. Ixix. — Bon. Oba 

 No. 251.— Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 463.— Nuttall, Man. II, 465.— Aud. Orn, Biog. m, 1835, 246 : 

 V, 619 ; pi. 233 —Ib. Syn. 299.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 402 ; pi. 413.— ErxoN, Mou. Anat. 177. 



Merganser cuadlatus, Bonap. List, 1838. 



Lopliodytes cucuUatus, Reich. Systema Avium, 1852, p. ix. — Bonap. Comptes Rendus, XLIII, 1856. 



Round-crested Duck, Catesbv, Carol. 



Sooded Merganser, Pennant. 



Sp. Ch. — Head with an elongated, compressed, semicircular crest. Anterior extremity of nostril reaching not quite as far as the 

 middle of commissure. Frontal feathers extending nearly as far as half the distance from lateral feathers to nostril ; the latter 

 much beyond the feathers on side of lower mandible. Bill shorter than head. 



Male. Bill black. Head, neck, and back black; under parts and centre of crest white. Sides chestnut brown, barred with 

 black. White anterior to the wing, crossed by two black crescents. Lesser coverts gray ; white speculum with a basal and 

 median black bar ; black tertials streaked centrally with white. 



Female with a shorter and more pointed crest. The head and neck reddish brown ; the back \vithout pure black ; the sides 

 without transverse bars ; the white of wings less extended. 



Length, 17.50; wing, 7.90; tarsus, 1.20; commissure, 1.98. 



Hub. — Whole of North America. 



The black border of the crest is about a quarter of an inch deep, the central portion snowy 

 white. The lower part of back and rump are dark brown. The greater coverts and secondaries 

 are black, tipped with white ; the black showing at the base of both as two bars. The middle 

 coverts are ashy gray. The white of secondaries is confined to the outer webs. The axillars 

 and inside of wing are white. 



The female has a much smaller crest, more like that of the female of the other species. The 

 head, neck, and jugulum are grayish chestnut brown ; the back and top of head dark brown ; 

 the chin whitish ; the under parts purer white. The wing is somewhat similar ; the white 

 more restricted, especially on the tertials ; the middle coverts dark brown. The bill appears to 

 be blackish above, and reddish below. 



Some specimens, perhaps young males in female plumage, have the reddish feathers of the 

 crest passing into whitish at the tips. 



List of specimens. 



