MERGUS SEREATOR 223 



MERGUS SERRATOR, Linnaeus. 

 EED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 



Mergus serrator, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 208 (1766); Malherbe, Cat. 

 Eais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 23 (1846) ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 402 

 (1867) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 296 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 104 ; 

 Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1900, p. 71. 



Merganser serrator, Salvador!, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xr.vii, 479. 



Description. — Adult male, winter from North Tunisia. 



Head and upper neck glossy-black with metallic-green reflections on the 

 sides, the feathers of the crown and nape fine and considerably elongated, 

 lower portion of the neck white, with a black line on the hind part ; back 

 and scapulars black ; rump and upper tail-coverts pencilled with black and 

 white ; tail dark grey ; primaries dull black ; secondaries and coverts 

 white, forming transverse black and white bars ; breast pale reddish-brown, 

 streaked with black ; rest of the underparts white. 



Iris bright vermilion ; bill vermilion, darker above and brighter below ; 

 feet light vermilion. 



Total length 22-50 inches, wing 9'50, culmen 230, tarsus 1-90. 



Adult female, head and neck i-eddish-brown ; upper-parts generally 

 dark greyish-brown, the feathers with lighter borders; chin and fore-neck 

 whitish, the latter tinged with grey ; rest of the underparts white. 



The Ked-breasted Merganser is not uncommon, as a winter 

 migrant, in Tunisia, and examples of it are obtained from time to 

 time on the northern coasts of the Kegency. In Algeria, according 

 to Loche, the species is of accidental occurrence during the periods 

 of passage, young individuals being met with more often than adult 

 birds. 



In some parts of the Mediterranean the species is far from 

 uncommon, and in certain years may even be called abundant. I 

 have observed it frequently on the south-west coast of Sicily during 

 the autumn and winter months, and have obtained numerous 

 examples of it, both adult and young birds. I have also received 

 living specimens which I have kept alive in my garden for some 

 time. 



In winter this species is generally to be found in small flocks and 

 companies on the sea-coast and salt-water lagoons and shallows. It 

 swims and dives with remarkable facility, and flies well when once 

 well on the wing, though its flight when rising from the water is 



