814 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



edged, externally, with tlie same. The primaries and outer secondaries are black ; the latter 

 tipped with paler. 



The female has a compressed occipital and nuchal crest ; the head and neck chestnut brown ; 

 the chin yellowish white ; the upper parts entirely bluish gray ; the under parts like the male. 

 The white on the wing is confined to the secondaries and the greater coverts, which are black at 

 the base and brown at the end, producing a bar. The tertials are entirely plumbeous. The 

 brown bar at the end of the greater coverts is sometimes wanting, leaving the speculum white. 



According to Mr. Cassin the American "sheldrake." or goosander, differs from the European 

 in having the prolonged feathers of the head almost restricted to the occiput and neck behind, 

 while in the other species they begin almost at the base of the bill, and are erectile and crest- 

 like. On the greater wing coverts of the American bird there is always an exposed and 

 conspicuous bar of black, which in the European is entirely concealed by the lesser coverts. 

 Bonaparte says that the bill of the American species is shorter and thicker. 



List of specimens. 



Catal. I Sex. 

 No. 



Locality. 



5140 

 5139 



9878 

 9881 

 9880 

 4413 



9879 

 9877 I 



1304 I S 

 879 I 9 

 5473 ' 



Carlisle, Pa. 

 do... . 



Yellowstone river. , 



Texas 



DoHa Ana, N. M... 



St- Mary's Mission, R. mts 

 Boca Grande, Mexico.... 



Fort Vancouver 



Fort Dalles, O. T , 



Pugct's Sound 



Fort Steilacoom 



When col- 

 lected. 



Mar. 21, 1844 

 Nov. 25, 184i2 

 Aug. 16, 1856 

 Nov. 19, 1855 

 Nov. 17, 1855 



Oct. 20, 1853 

 Mar. — , 1855 

 Dec. 9, 1853 

 Jan. 7, 1855 



April — , 1854 



Whence obtained. 



S. F. Baird. 

 do 



Lt. Warren. 

 Capt. Pope , 

 do 



Gov. Stevens.. 

 Maj. Emory ... 

 Gov. Stevens. . 

 Dr. Suckley.... 



do 



Gov. Stevens . . 



Orig'l 

 No. 



160 



33 

 155i 



Collected by — 



Dr. Uayden . 



Dr. Suckley . . 

 Dr. Kennerly . 

 Dr. Cooper.,.. 



Dr. Suckley . 



Length. 



26.50 

 23.25 



Stretch 

 of wings. 



38.25 

 83.50 



38.50 



Wing. 



11.00 

 9.75 



12.00 



Remarks. 



Feet red, bill red and 

 black, eyes black. 



Bill and feet vermilion.. 



MEEGUS SEREATOR, Linn. 



Red-breasted Merganser. 



Mergus serrator, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 208.— Gm. I, 546.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, J814, 81 ; pi. Ixix.— Bon. Obs. 

 1825, No. 249.— Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 462.— Nuttall, Man. H, 1834, 463.— Eyton, Mod. 

 1838, 175.— AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 92; pi. 401.— Is. Syn. 298.— Ib. Birds Am. VI, 1843, 395; 

 pi. 412. 

 Merganser serrator, Steph. Shaw's Gen. Zool, XII, 1824, 165.— Bon. List, 1838. 

 Mergus crisMus and serraius, Brunn. Orn. Bor. 1764, 23. 



gp Ch. Feathers of the forehead extending on the bill in a short obtuse angle, and falling far short of the end of those on the 



Bides ; the outline of the latter sloping rapidly forwards, and reaching halfway from the posterior end of the lower edge of bill 

 to the nostrils, and far beyond those on the side of lower jaw. Nostrils narrow, posterior ; their posterior outline opposite the 

 end of basal third of commissure. 



Milk. Head with conspicuous pointed occipital crest. Head and upper part of neck, all around, dark green ; under parts 

 reddish white. Jugulum reddish brown, streaked with black. Sides conspicuously barred transversely with fine lines of black. 

 Feathers anterior to wing, white, margined with black. White of wing crossed by two bars of black. 



Female. Head with compressed occipital crest; chestnut brown. Body above ash; beneath reddish white. The black at base 

 of secondaries exposed ; outer tertials white, edged with black. 

 Length, 23.25 ; wing, 8 60; tarsus, 1.811; commissure, 2.76. 

 Ilab Whole North America and Europe. 



