RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, SHELDRAKE. 23 1 



daries edged with the same color. On the side of the 

 breast, in front of the bend in the wing, is a patch of 

 white feathers, margined with black. The sides are 

 barred with black and white, and the rest of the under 

 parts white. The bill, eyes and feet are bright red. 

 Length about 22 inches„ In this species the nostrils 

 are situated near tx) the base of the bill, whereas in the 

 goosander they are nearly half way between the base 

 and tip of bill. This character will enable the observer 

 to distinguish the two. 



The adult female has the top of the head and crest 

 reddish-brown; the sides of head and neck somewhat 

 paler, fading to white on the throat. The upper parts 

 are dark ashy-gray; the sides almost the same, but 

 somewhat paler. There is a white patch on the wing, 

 divided by a black bar. The under parts are white, 

 often with a pinkish or salmon tinge in both sexes, but 

 this is by no means always present. The bill, legs and 

 feet are like those in the male, but perhaps a little 

 duller. 



Like the goosander, this species belongs to the 

 Northern Hemisphere at large, and is found in Europe, 

 China, Japan and other islands of the Pacific. Mr. 

 Shepard found it breeding in Iceland, in company 

 with Barrow's golden-eye, and Old World observers 

 generally have reported it as abundant in the North. 

 It occurs regularly as a resident in Greenland, and, of 

 course, in North America is quite a common species. 

 It has been reported, in summer, from Alaska, and 

 from Maine, and breeds in both sections. Mr. Mac- 



