^ 6 NOTES ON THE 



grasses, with some roots. Over these is the true nest, com- 

 posed of fine roots chiefly, which is covered with a layer of 

 feathers. They lay about ten, light, dirty, drab colored eggs. 

 I have found but one while employed for nidification, although 

 several have come to my notice by finding the fragments of 

 shells associated with them. The young birds were in the 

 water of a draining ditch on the 9th of June. The species is 

 abundantly reported in both migrations, yet only a very few 

 individuals have seen these ducks during the summer, for the 

 obvious reason that, like all other locally breeding ducks, 

 they are rarely found on the wing. Hence Mr. Washburn's 

 statement that he found the species rather rare in the Red 

 River valley in July and August. They remain till very late 

 in November, and occasionally all winter, as I have repeatedly 

 seen them in open rapids on spring fed streams and the Mis- 

 sissippi. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Feathers of the forehead extending on the bill in a short, 

 obtuse angle, and falling far short of the end of those on the 

 sides; the outline of the latter sloping rapidly forwards, and 

 reaching half way from the posterior end of the lower edge of 

 the bill to the nostrils, and far beyond those on the side of the 

 lower jaw. Nostrils posterior and narrow, their posterior 

 outline opposite the end of the basal third of the commissure. 

 Head with a conspicuous, pointed, occipital crest. Head and 

 upper part of neck all around dark green; under parts red- 

 dish-white; jugulum, reddish-brown streaked with black; sides 

 distinctly barred transversely with fine lines of black. Feathers 

 anterior to wing white, margined with black. White of wing 

 crossed by two bars of black. 



Length, 23.25; wing, 8.60; tarsus, 1.80; commissure, 2 75. 



Habitat, Northern North America. 



LOPHODYTES CUCULLATUS (L.). (131.) 

 HOODED MERGANSER. 



Undisturbed in the quiet solitudes of its favorite feeding 

 places, especially during the mating season when the time is 

 more devoted to courting, the male of this species of ducks has 

 no peer for regal beauty in its family except the always to be 

 excepted male Wood Duck, {Aix sponsa). It is a permanent 

 resident, finding open water enough through the severest 

 winters to make its supply of fish-food possible. On the 

 coldest days I have many times observed it feeding in the 

 rapids at the foot of the falls of St. Anthony. At such times 



