474 ANATIDiE. 



Merg'us major, C. F. Dubois, PL Col. Ois. Belg. iii. pi. et p. 268 



(1860). 

 Mergus pusillus, Eyt. Syn. Anat. p. 138 (1869) (Amoy) (=orientalis, 



Gould). 

 Merganser merganser, Stejn. Orn. Expl. Kamtsch. p. 176 (1885) ; 



Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. p. 88 (1887). 



Adult male. Head and upper part of the neck black, glossed with 

 bottle-green ; the occipital feathers elongated, but not forming a 

 distinct crest, except when erected ; lower part of neck and 

 mantle white ; back and scapulars glossy black ; lower part of 

 the back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail ashy, the basal tail- 

 coverts paler, the longest with the shafts blackish, and the centre 

 darker ; underparts white, on the breast and abdomen, especially in 

 freshly killed specimens, delicate pale salmon-colour ; lower flanks 

 at the base of the tail and outer under tail- coverts finely vermicu- 

 lated with grej' ; iipper wing-coverts, median and inner secondaries 

 white, the latter edged with black on the outer web ; outer scapu- 

 lars white ; primaries, primary- coverts, and outer secondaries 

 brown-black, but the secondaries white at the tip ; marginal under 

 wing-coverts brown, edged with white, the remainder, with the 

 axillaries, white : bill deep vermilion-red, the ridge of the upper 

 mandible and the tooth blackish ; iris deep reddish brown ; legs 

 vermilion-red. Total length about 28 inches, wing 11*25, tail5-25, 

 culmen 2-45, tarsus 1*95. 



Female. Head and upper neck deep rusty, duller on the crown 

 and anterior part of head ; throat conspicuously white ; the rusty 

 colour of the neck sharply defined below ; feathers of the crown and 

 nape much elongated, forming a crest when erected ; lower neck 

 grey, with the edges of the feathers whitish ; upper parts generally, 

 including the inner secondaries, scapulars, and wing-coverts, ashy 

 grey, many of the feathers with dark shafts ; primaries, primary- 

 coverts, and outer secondaries black, with a greyish tinge ; median 

 secondaries white, with only the concealed base of the feathers 

 blackish grey ; outer greater wing-coverts blackish, median white 

 with a dark grey band at the tip, the inner ones grey like the back ; 

 marginal under wing-coverts dark grey edged with white, the 

 greater ones uniform grey, the remainder like the axillaries white ; 

 tail grey like the back ; breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts 

 white, the marginal ones of the latter with a V-shaped grey mark, 

 and the longest freckled with grey ; flanks grey, with the edges of 

 the feathers whitish ; soft parts as in the male, but not so brightly 

 coloured. Total length about 23 inches, wing 10-5, tail 5, culmen 

 1-9, tarsus 1-75. 



Young in first jilumage closely resemble adult females, but have 

 shorter crests, and brown instead of grey markings on the breast 

 and flanks ; males may be distinguished by paler feathers on 

 the median wing-coverts and outer scapulars, and darker feathers 

 on the inner scapulars (SeeboJim). 



Males in first nuptial dress have more grey on the shoulders than 

 adults. 



