MERGANSERS 79 



isolated ponds and lakes of northern Maine as a breeding bird 

 from the time the ice breaks up in the spring until fall. The 

 nest is composed of dry grass, often lined with down from the 

 breast of the female, and is almost always on the ground and 

 well hidden in the grass or under growing plants on some 

 island. Six to twelve creamy buff, slightly greenish tinged 

 eggs are laid. Ten eggs were found on Saddleback Ledge, 

 June 21, 1894, in a nest of dry grass and seaweed warmly 

 lined with down. The nest was under a clump of bushes near 

 the shore of this island in Jericho Bay. These eggs measured 

 2.65 X 1.76, ^.66 x 1.72, 2.49 x 1.70, 2.60 x 1.76, 2.50 x 1.76, 

 2.60 X 1.77, 2.54 x 1.74, 2.60 x 1.80, 2.68 x 1.75, 2.60 x 1.76. 

 The food of these birds is identical with that of the American 

 Merganser as far as I have been able to ascertain by dissection 

 and examination, and in general, outside of their nesting 

 habits, they act very similarly. When nesting on such an 

 island as Trumpet Island, where at one time several pairs of 

 these birds bred, sometimes two or three birds left at the 

 approach of the boat, while on other occasions no birds were 

 seen about the island. Sometimes the females remained on the 

 nests until almost trodden on before leaving, while on other 

 occasions no birds at all were seen though nests containing 

 eggs were found. 



»nai 



Genus LOPHODYTES Reichenbach. 



131. Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.). Hooded Merganser; 

 Water Pheasant; Hairy Head. 



Plumage of adult male: head with large white crest, sharply bordered 

 with black ; head, neck and back otherwise black ; breast and belly white ; 

 sides barred with black, on cinnamon rufous. Plumage of adult female : crest 

 reddish brown ; head, neck, back, sides and upper breast grayish or fuscous 

 brown ; upper throat, lower breast and belly white. Immature plumage : 

 crest wanting or rudimentary ; sides distinctly brown. Wing 7.40 to 8.00 ; 

 culmen 1.48; tarsus 1.11. 



Geog. Dist. — North America, south to Cuba and Mexico, breeding locally 

 throughout its range ; casual in Europe. 

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