56 Birds of Xorth C'ahoi.ina 



T. Hind too \vitho\it a distinct mombrjinou.s lobo. (River Ducks.) See 8. 



7. Hind toe with u hfond nicnil)ranous lolie. (Sea Ducks.) See 15. 



8. Bill spoon-shaped, very narrow at base and broad at tip. .S/'"'"'"- 



8. Bill not spoon-shaped. See 9. 



9. Tail-feathers broad, rounded at tips. Male with a large crest. Ail. 

 9. Tail-feathers narrow, rat.her pointed; no crest. See 10. 



10. Tail pointed, the middle feathers much longer than the others. Tail of 16 feathers. 

 Dajild. 



10. Tail not much pointed, middle feathers not much longer than the rest. See 11. 



11. ('tilmen lorif^i'r than luiildle toe witliout claw. Sen 12. 



11. Culmen shorter tlian middle toe without claw. See 14. 



12. Speculum violet, liordercil witli black. Length more than 20. Anas. 



12. Speculum green; length less than 20. (Teal.) See 13. 



13. Wing-coverts sky-tjlue. (Jiicrqiialida. 



13. Wing-coverts leaden gray witliout blue. Neliion. 



14. Lamella' f)f l)ill very fine, more than 30 visible from outside. Bill not shorter than head. 



Chdiih'hismiiii. 



14. IjamelUe coarser, less than 1.") visible externally. Bill shorter than he.ad. Mareca. 



1.5. Tail more than lialf length of wing, its feathers with narrow webs, and very stilT shafts, 

 tlieir bases liardly conce.'decl by the very short tail-coverts. Kristmilurd. 



15. Tail-feathers not as above, their bases well hidden by the coverts. See 16. 



16. Feathering on forehead or lores reaching in front to or beyond hind end of nostril. Bill 



swolleii at base and with large frontal processes. Xo speculum. Somalvria. 



16. Feathering on lores cr forehead not reaching forward of hind edge of nostril. See 17. 



17. Graduation of bill less tliaii length of bill from nostril; width of nail of bill not more than 



one-third width of bill at middle. Marihi. 



17. (iradtiation of tail nuicli more than length of bill from nostril. See IS. 



18. Bill swolliMi at i>ase, with a large fused nail, and no frontal appendages. Oidemia. 



18. Bill ordinary, not swollen nor appendaged. See 10. 



19. Nail of bill large, fused. Tail in male with its middle feathers very much lengthened. 



No speculum. Ildrilitn. 



19. Nail of bill narrow, distinct, tail moderate. See 20. 



20. Nostril anterior, its front much nearer to the tip of tlic bill than to the loral feathers. 



Kyes yellow. CliinijiiUi. 

 20. Nostril .sub-liasal, its front much nearer to the loral feathers than to tip of bill. Eyes 

 brown. CharUonclta. 



Genus Mergus (Linn.) 



KEY TO .SPECIES 



Contaiu.s two North American spoc-'Ks: 



1. Nostril nearer middle of liiU than base. Mtr(j(nixcr. 

 1. Nostril near base' of bill, lud-hrciislvit Mcrijiinavr. 



39. Mergus americanus {Cass.). :Merganser; Sheldr.a.ke. 



Ad. (f. — Whole head and ujiper neck glossy greenish black; hindneck, secondaries, le.s.ser 

 wing-coverts, and ends of greater ones white; back black, rump and tail ashy gray; breast and 

 belly white, delicately tinged with salmon. .Ul. 9 '"»'/ /"(■ — Chin and upper throat white; 

 lower throat and entire top of the head rufous-brown; rest of upperparts antl tail ashy gr.ay; 

 speculum white; breast and belly wliite. L., 25.00; W., 10..50; Tar., 1.86; B., from N. 1..50. 

 (Chap., Binl.-i of K. .V. A.) 



Range. — North .Vmerica, breeding cliiefly in Canada, wintering in most portions of the United 

 States and .south(>rn Cai\ada. 



Range in North Cnmlinn. — Coastal region in winter, l)Ut may appear at that season where- 

 ever there are large bodies of water. 



The Shrlclral.es arc iiihahitants of the tfiuit stfcaiiis tiinl lakes of Canada, well 

 known to the royageurs of those inland waters. Here they breed, hiding their nests 

 in the hollows of trees, and, it is said, taking their young to the earth in their Ijills 

 or sometimes allowing them to fall, the little ones working their wings to break 

 the force of the descent. In feeding, they swim rajiidly beneath the surface, often 

 in the face of a strong current, and grasp their |)rcy with their long serrated bills. 



