RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 103 
remainder white; two conspicuous white bands are formed 
by these and the others across the wing; tertiaries, white, 
edged narrowly with glossy black. Tail, greyish black; it’ 
consists of sixteen feathers, the shafts of the feathers are 
very strong; upper tail coverts, white, with grey waved 
pencillings; under tail eoverts, white. Legs and toes, bright 
reddish orange; webs, darker reddish brown. 
The male in summer assumes temporarily the plumage of 
the female. 
The female is rather less in size than the male. Length, 
about one foot nine inches; bill, dark orange reddish brown; 
iris, orange red. The head and erown, on which latter the 
feathers are darker, and at its back elongated, are reddish 
brown; neck behind and nape, also reddish brown; chin, 
paler brown, or greyish white. Throat and breast on the 
upper part, white, spotted with dusky, the centres of the 
feathers being of that hue, below the breast is white; the 
sides blackish grey, the edges of the feathers paler. Back, 
brown, or blackish grey, the edges of the feathers paler. 
Greater wing coverts, dark brownish black, ended with 
white; lesser wing coverts, brown; primaries, dark brownish 
black; secondaries, dark brownish black, the ends white, 
forming with the tips of the greater coverts two white bands 
across the wing—a double speculum, as it were; tertiaries, 
white, but broadly edged with dark brownish black, and 
except on one or two the white is impure. Tail, brownish 
grey; upper tail coverts, brownish grey; under tail coverts, 
white. Legs and toes, dull orange reddish. 
When first hatched the young are dark brown above, below 
white, the sides of the neck reddish. 
The young male afterwards resembles the female, but is 
brighter coloured. The bill is pale red, the ridge of the 
upper mandible horn-colour, the head dark brown, the crest 
very short, the chin nearly white, but tinged with brown. 
The lower part of the neek grey, tipped. with white; the 
back of the neck grey; breast, dull white, the flanks grey; 
back and lesser wing coverts, hoary grey; primaries, dark 
brown, the outer webs black; secondaries the same, except 
six, whieh are broadly tipped with white, forming the specu- 
lum, which, when closed, has a dark wedge-shaped mark 
across it. The wings underneath mottled with grey and 
white; under tail coverts, grey. Legs and toes, dull orange, 
the joints tinged with dusky; the webs dusky grey. 
