THE HOODED MERGANSERS. 57 



inner greater coverts with white tips, the inner secondaries 

 white along their outer webs, forming a small speculum, the 

 innermost secondaries white down the centre ; under surface 

 of body white, the sides of the body brown, more ashy on the 

 sides of the upper breast ; bill and feet as in the male, but not 

 so blight. Total length, 23 inches ; wing, 7-3. 



Young Males. — Resemble the old female and have a rufous 

 crest, but this is smaller and less developed, and has not the 

 hoary wlu'tish ends to the feathers ; the crown, sides of the 

 face, and tliroat are dark brown, inierspersed generally with a 

 few black feathers ; some of the flank-feathers are also rufous, 

 with black cross-bars, much coarser than in the adult male. 



Range in Great Britain. — Very few authenticated instances of 

 the occurrence of the Hooded Merganser are on record, 

 though it is indubitable that this North American species is an 

 occas onal visitant to our coasts. As might have been ex- 

 pected, the species has chiefly occurred off the shores of Ireland, 

 where Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey says that he has himself killed 

 three specimens. 



Range outside the British Islands. — That the present species is 

 only an accidental visitor to Europe is proved by the fact that, 

 beyond the British specimens, not a single instance of the 

 occurrence of the Hooded Merganser on other coasts of 

 Europe has been recorded. It is strictly a North American 

 species, wandering south in winter to Mexico and the Greater 

 Antilles. 



Habits. — Eike all the Mergansers, the present species is nn 

 expert diver. In its habits it does not differ from its allies, 

 being shy during the breeding-season, and colleciing in flocks 

 in the winter. 



Nest. — Placed in a hollow tree or hollow of a fallen log, the 

 nest consisting merely of a little dry grass, and plentifully 

 lined with down. 



Eggs. — Five to eight in number. The fust thing that strikes 

 the observer is their curious roundness. In colour they are 

 white or ivory-white. Axis, 2'o-2'25 inches; diam., i"65-i 8 



Down. — ^Very pale grey. 



