482 ANATID^. 



Merganser cristatus, Leach, Sysl. Cat. M. ^ B. Br. Mus. p. 36 (1816). 



Merganser serrata, Stcph. Gen. Zool. xii. 2, p. 165 (1824). 



Mergus serratus, Swinh. Ibis, 1860, p. 62 (Amoy), 1861, p. 344 



(N. China). 

 Mergus castor, Butler {nee Linn.), Str. Feath. v. p. 323 (Sindb) 



(1877). 



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

 gloss on the posterior half, the feathers of the crown and occiput 

 elongated ; middle of neck all round white, except a narrow line of 

 black descending from the occiput to the upper part of the back, 

 which, with the scapulars, is also black ; a narrow portion of the 

 upper back reddish brown marked with black ; lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts finely vermiculated with grey and black, 

 longer upper tail-coverts brown, nearly uniform ; upper part of the 

 breast pale reddish brown, marked with blackish browm ; on the 

 sides of the breast a conspicuous patch of feathers black, with the 

 central part white ; sides and flanks grey, undulated with black ; 

 lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts pale delicate reddish 

 buff, which fades to white soon after death ; marginal wing-coverts 

 brown, with pale edging.s, the central ones white ; greater wing- 

 coverts broadly white on the apical half, the basal half black ; 

 primaries, primary-coverts, and outer secondaries brown-black; inner 

 secondaries white, with the base black ; tertials white, edged with 

 black on the outer web ; on the white patch of the wing two oblique 

 black bands formed by the bases of the greater coverts and of the 

 secondaries ; axillarics and under wing-coverts white, but the mar- 

 ginal ones of the latter more or less brown, edged with white ; tail 

 brown-grey, the outer feathers undulated with white and grey on 

 the outer web : bill bright vermilion, with the unguis black, the 

 ridge of the upper mandible dusky ; iris bright red ; feet bright 

 vermilion. Total length about 22 inches, wing 10- 1, tail 4, culmen 

 2-25, tarsus 1*6. 



Female. Head and neck reddish brown, darkest on the crown ; 

 the occipital feathers elongated ; back, scapulars, and small wing- 

 coverts umber-brown, the edges of the feathers paler ; a white 

 patch or speculum on the wing, formed by the greater coverts and 

 secondaries, which end broadly with white, but have the bases black, 

 forming two black bands acro.ss the wing ; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts greyish brown ; underpaits white, the lower tore-neck 

 mottled with reddish and pale brown ; sides and flanks pale brown ; 

 primaries and primary-coverts brown-black, tertials greyish brown, 

 edged with black on the outer edges ; tail umber-brown ; soft parts 

 as in the male, but duller. Total length about 21 inches, wing 9*5, 

 tail 3-1, culmen 2-15, tarsus 1-5. 



Young male. Closely resembles the adult female, but it is larger, 

 and has a shorter crest. 



Males in first nuptial drei's have the lower back brown, and the 

 white round the neck streaked with brown. 



Males in moulting dress closely resemble males in first plumage, 

 but have the dark markings on the breast and flanks slaty grey 

 instead of brown (SeeboJim). 



