718 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — STEG AN OP ODES. 



throat and under parts white, shaded with ashy-gray along the sides. Tipper parts plumbeous- 

 gray, the feathers with paler edges ; white of wing restricted to a patch formed by the ends 

 of the greater coverts, and much of the outer secondaries; not divided by a black bar. No 

 peculiar feathers in front of wing. Length about 24.00 ; extent 34.00; wing 8.50-9.50; tail 

 4.00; tarsus 1.60; middle toe and claw 2.60; bill 2.20 on culmen, 2.60 on gape. Young 

 (J like 9 . Nestlings in down curiously patched. N. Am. at large, more numerous than 

 the goosander. U. S. abundantly in winter, and breedin^in many places as well as farther 

 north. Also European, etc. Nest on ground, down-lined; eggs 8-10, elliptical, buff, 2.51) 

 X 1.65. 



M. (L.) cuculla'tus. (Lat. cucullatus, wearing a hood). Hooded Merganser. Bill 

 shorter than head. Nt)strils in its basal half. Frontal feathers extending far beyond those ou 



side of bill, these beyond 

 those on lower mandi- 

 ble. A magnificent erect 

 crest, compressed, semi- 

 circular in outline, in 

 both sexes, but in 9 

 M nailer, and less strict. 

 Ailult ^ : Bill black; 

 cyi'S yeUow ; feet light 

 1 u I iwn, with dusky claws. 

 Head, neck, and upper 

 ^ parts black, changing to 

 Fig. 500. — Bill of Red-breasted Merganser, nat. bizt. (Adnai. . .. J. _.) brown on lower back • 



crest elegantly centred with snowy white ; lower fore-neck and under parts white, the sides 

 regularly and finely waved with brownish-red and black ; crissum waved vnth dusky. Lining 

 of wings and axillars white. Enlarged white doubly black-barred feathers in front of \^Tini;-. 

 A white speculum, with two black bars, the white being on outer webs of secondaries and ends 

 ( if these and greater coverts ; inner secondaries witli white central stripe. Young ^ like 9 . 

 9 : Bill dusky, with orange base below. Head and neck gravish -chestnut, darker brown im 

 crown, the throat and under parts whitish ; back and sides dusky-brown, the latter not undu- 

 lated, the feathers generally with paler edges. No black and white bars before wing ; white 

 of \Adng restricted or impure. Length 16.50-18.00; extent about 25.00; wing 7.00-8.00; 

 tail 4.00 ; tarsus 1.20 ; middle toe and claw 2.25 ; bill 1.50 along culmen, 2.00 along gape. 

 N. Am. at large ; common ; breeds at large in U. S., as well as farther north; winters in 

 U. S. Europe, etc. This beautiful species appears to usually if not always nest in trees, like 

 the wood duck and some others, the young being transported to the water in the beak of the 

 mother. Eggs 6-8, 1.75 Xl-35, elliptical, buff-colored. 



XI. Order STEGANOPODES : Totipalmate Birds. 



Feet totipalmate, with three fuU webs (as in fig. 52, for example) ; hind toe semi-lateral, 

 larger and lower down than in other water birds, connected v-ith the inner toe bij a complete web 

 reaching from tip to tip. Nostrils minute, rudimentary, or entirely abortive. A gular pouch. 

 Bill not membranous nor lamellate ; tomia sometimes serrate ; usually, a long sulcus on upper 

 mandible reaching alongside the culmen nearly to tip of bill, which is commonly hooked with 

 a more or less distinct nail ; mouth much cleft. 



This is a definite and perfectly natural group, which will be immediately recognized by 

 the foregoing characters, one of which, the complete webbing of the hallux, is not elsewhere 



