ANATID.E— THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 191 



The genus Lophodytes is quite distinct from Merganser in the 

 possession of the above characters. The bill is also much more 

 depressed terminally, and, in proportion to its length, deeper 

 through the base. The nostrils are situated far back, as in 

 M. serrator. But one species is known, unless the Mergus octo- 

 setaceus of Vieillot, a South American bird, which we have not 

 seen, be referable to this genus rather than to Mergus. 



Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.) 



HOODED MERGANSER. 



Popular synonyms. Hooded Sheldrake; Fan-crest; Round-crest; Pi kaxe Sheldrake; 

 Wood Sheldrake; Wood Duck; Swamp Sheldrake; Pond Sheldrake; Cock Robin 

 Duck; Hairy-head; Snowl (Maryland); Moss head; Tow-head; Tadpole, etc.. etc. 



Mergus cucullatus Linn. S. N. ed, 10, i, 1758, 129; ed. 12, i, 17G6, 207.— Wll8. Am. Orn. 

 viii 1814, pi. lxix, lig. 1— Sw. & Rich. F. B.-A. ii,1831,403.— Nutt. Man. ii. 1834,465 

 — Aud. Orn. Biog. iii. 1835. 246, pi. 233; Synop. 1839. 2'9; B. Am. vi, 1843, 402, 

 pi. 413.— Coues, Key, 1872, 296; Check List, 1873. No. 523; 2d ed. 1882, No. 74",; B. N. 

 W. 1874, 581.— Hensh. Zoo!. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 481. 

 Lophodytes cucullatus Reichenb. Syst. Av. 1852. p. ix — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 816; 

 Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 613.— Ridgw. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 627; Norn. N. Am. B. 

 1881, No. 638; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 89.-B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884. 121- 

 A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 131. 



Hab. All of North America, south to Mexico and Cuba, north to Alaska, and acci- 

 dentally to Greenland; breeds nearly throughout its range; Bermudas in autumn; casual 

 in Europe. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Head, neck, back, and scapulars black: crest ch'efly pure 

 white, but bordered by a distinct "rim" of black; forehead, and feathers round base of the 

 bill, dark fuliginous, but this blending insensibly into the deep black. Wing-coverts dark 

 gray, lighter and more ashy posteriorly: greater coverts broadly tipped with white, the 

 black, this exposed sufficiently to show a distinct band; inner secondaries with th ir ex- 

 posed surface (in closed wing) white, the basal portion black, showing narrowly b' yond the 

 end of the greater coverts; tertials with a central stripe of whit'-. Primaries, primary cov- 

 erts, rump, upper tail-coverts, ami tail brownish dusky. Sides of the breasteroesed by two 

 black crescents, project in',' from the black of the back, these interdigitating with two white 

 ones, tie- last crescent being black. Sides and flanks rusty cinnamon (more grayish ante- 

 riorly), narrowly undulated with black; remaining.lower parts white, the posterior part of 

 tie- orissum mottled with grayish brown. Bill deep black; ii is bright yellow; legs and feet 

 yellowish brown, the claws dusky. Adult f emu '<-: Head, neck, chest, and upper parts 

 generally, grayish brown, darker above, the crest reddish hair-brown, or doll cinnamon, 

 smaller and of looser texture than in the male; chin, upper part of the throat, and lower 

 parts, except sides, and posterior part of the orissum, white; middle feathers of the 

 grea'er wing-coverts tipped with white; innermost secondaries with their ez osed 

 surface white, exoi pi at tic base, Maxilla Mack, edged with orange; mandible 

 orange; iris hazel; feet dusky. Young; Similar to the adult female, but orest ru- 

 dimentary, or wanting, the >ides and posterior part of the orissum more distinctly 



brown. Downy young: Above, deep hair-brown, darkest on the hack and rump: 



