64. MEKOANSER. 485 



Gieb. Thes. Oni. ii. p. 509 (1875) ; v. Hilgel, Ibis, 1875, p. 392 ; 

 Buller, Man. N. Z. Birds, p. 73 (1882) ; id. Hist. B. New Zecd. 

 2nd ed. ii. p. 279 (1888) ; Bullei; Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxv. 1892, 

 p. 88 (youn^ in down) (1893). 

 Nesonetta aucklandica, part., G. R. Gr. Gen. B. iii. p. G27 (1844) ; 

 id. List B. Brit. Miis. iii. p. 191 (part.) (1844). 



Type. Head and neck brown, with a rufous tinge on the throat 

 and lower neck ; feathers of the occiput rather long and narrow ; 

 upper parts, breast, and flanks dark grey ; feathers of the lower 

 parts dark grey, those of the breast with whitish edges, which 

 become broader on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; a white 

 speculum on the wings, formed by a subapical white band on the 

 greater wing-coverts and by the median part of the outer web of 

 the inner secondaries ; inner under wing-coverts and inner second- 

 aries underneath edged with white ; axillaries white ; quills and 

 tail-feathers blackish grey : " bill reddish brown, changing to black 

 on the culmen and at the tips of both mandibles ; legs and feet 

 reddish brown" (Buller). Total length about 19 inches, wing 7*25, 

 tail 3"5, culmen 2*45, tarsus 1*4 (Paris Museum). 



Young in doivn. " It is covered with thick, long, and somewhat 

 glossy down. The upper part and sides of the head, the hind neck, 

 and the entire upper surface and sides of the body dark olive-brown ; 

 throat and fore neck, and spot under each eye, bright rufous, fading 

 away towards the breast ; under surface yellowish white; wings 

 dark olive-brown, marked along the outer edge and longitudinally 

 on the under surface with yellowish white. Bill very dark olive, 

 shaded with brown on the ridge, the terminal shield on both 

 mandibles reddish brown, with a polished surface ; legs and feet 

 dull olive-brown, paler on the toes, the interdigital webs darker, 

 and the claws yellowish brown." (Buller.) 



A specimen in the Cambridge Museum and a second in the British 

 Museum, considered by Buller to be male and female, have both a 

 conspicuous crest and crescentic grey and white markings on the 

 breast : these markings I take to ho distinctive of the adult bird. 



Two specimens in the Tring Museum, marked male and female, 

 have no crescentic markings on the breast, shorter crest, and thi 

 middle of the lower breast and abdomen conspicuously white, with 

 very few dusky mottlings ; these I take to be immature birds. 



llah. Aucklands. 



a. Ad. sk. Auckland I., Dec. Caron v. Iliigel [P.]. 



7. Merganser brasilianus. 



Mergus octosetaceus, Vivill. N. D. xiv. p. 222(1817) (Brazil) ; Dum. 



Diet. So. A'at. xx. p. 296 (1821) ; Eanz. Elem. di Zool. iii. pt. ix. 



p. 151 (note) (182(5) ; Sclat. ^- Salv. P. Z. S. 1876. p. 409 ; Sclat. 



P.Z.S. 1880, p. 532; B., B., S,- R. Water-B. N. Am. ii. p. 120 



(note) (1884) ; Schiiff, J.f. O. 1888, pp. 6, 7. 

 Mergus octosetalus, Vieill. Enc. Mcth. i. p. 351, pi. 236. f. 3 (1823). 

 Mergus fuscus, Licht. (nee Lath.) Verz. Doubl. p. So, n. 901 ((j) 



