RED -BREASTED MERGANSER. 497 



was enabled to creep without attracting attention. At this 

 season (the latter end of May), the males had lost the fine 

 plumage they exhibited in winter and early spring." 



The food of this bird consists of fish and small crusta- 

 ceans, and its flesh is extremely unpalatable. 



In the adult male the upper mandible is dark reddish- 

 brown, except the edges, which are of a brighter red, 

 under mandible wholly red ; irides red ; all the head and 

 the upper part of the neck dark shining green, the feathers 

 on the crown and occiput elongated ; middle of neck all 

 round white, except a narrow line of black descending from 

 the occiput to the upper part of the back, which, with the 

 shoulders, is also black ; the short scapulars white, those 

 more elongated are black ; before the point of the wing on 

 each side are several roundish white feathers, margined with 

 broad and rich velvet black ; point of the wing dark brown ; 

 small wing-coverts white ; great coverts and secondaries 

 black at the base, the outer halves white, forming with the 

 smaller coverts the conspicuous white bands on the wing ; 

 primary quill- feathers brownish-black ; inner secondaries 

 white, edged with black ; lower portions of the back, the 

 sides, flanks, rump, and upper tail-coverts, grey ; tail-feathers 

 stiff, rather pointed, and of a uniform brownish-ash colour ; 

 lower part of the neck on the front and sides pale chestnut- 

 brown, streaked, and otherwise varied with black ; breast, 

 belly, and under tail-coverts white ; legs and toes reddish- 

 orange, the membranes darker reddish-brown. The whole 

 length is fully twenty-two inches. From the carpal joint to 

 the end of the longest quill-feather ten inches. 



Females are rather smaller than males, and have the head 

 and neck behind reddish-brown, darkest on the crown of the 

 head, the occipital feathers elongated ; all the back, scapu- 

 lars, and small wing-coverts umber-brown ; greater coverts 

 and secondaries dark brownish-black, ending with white, 

 forming two white bands ; primaries and inner secondaries 

 dark brownish-black ; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers 

 brown ash-colour ; neck in front mottled with reddish and 

 pale brown, on a white ground ; all the under surface of the 



VOL. IV. 3 s 



