BIRDS — MERGINAE — MERGELLUS ALBELLUS. 817 



MEEGELLUS ALBELLUS, S e 1 b y . 



Smew. 



Mirgua alhdlua, Listi. I, 1766, 219 — Wii.sov, Am. Orn. VIII, HU, 123; pl.lxxi. (Europeaa ap ?) -Bon. Oba. 

 Wils. 1825, 2511— NuTTALL, Maa II, 18U, 437.— Aud Orn. Bi.tg IV, H.W, 351; pi. 317. (Fdintle 

 figured from Am. specimen; male from European.) — Ib. Syn. 1839. — Ib. Birds Amer. VI, ISi'i, 

 406; pi. 414. 

 Mergdlus albdlus, Selby, Brit. Orn. 1^40. 

 il'^gus minulus, Linn. 1, 1766, 2 19, N >. 6. Young. 

 Mergits alhiius und panno?iicus, Sopoli. 

 M rgus stelljtm,BR\:>i>i. Ora Bor 98. 

 gp. Ch. — Tail of 16 feathers. Bill shorter than the inner toe General color white. Region round eye. patch on each sile 

 the nape, half collar on each side the lower neck, middle of back, tail, and wings black; the scapulars, middle wing coverts, 

 tertiuls, and tips of greater coverts and secondaries white. 

 Female with bead reddish brown. 



Length, 17.50 inches; wiag, 7.75; tarsus, 1.15; commissure, 1.60. 

 Eih — Noithern parts of Old World. Very accidt-ntal in America. 



I introduce a brief diagnosis of this .species, the existence of wh'c\ in" America is basel upon 

 a female bird found at New Orleans by Mr. Audubon. No one else has ever met with it, and 

 this single straggler (in respect to which Mr. Audribon may have evea been mistaken) can 

 hardly warrant its being considered an American bird. 



Wilson, in speaking of the abundance of the Smew in the northern United States, probably 

 had the butterball, Bucephala albeola, in view. 



Angast 20, 1858. 



103 b 



