AXATIDi;— THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 187 



mersed. It is also extremely expert at divinp:; and when wounded, 

 often escapes by doing this, and then hiding in the grass, if 

 there is any accessible.'' {Water Birds of North America.) 



Mr. Salvin found this species more easily procurable than any 

 other of the ducks frequenting the lake of Daenas, in Guatemala, 

 on account of a peculiaiity in its powers of flight which renders 

 its escape less easy than it would otherwise be. It can fly as 

 well as any other when it is once fairl.y started, but rises with 

 great difficulty from the water; and, in consequence of this, it 

 can be approached within easy gunshot b^' sailing down upon 

 it before the wind. Sometimes, however, it seeks safety by div- 

 ing; and when it does this, so rapid are its motions that it is 

 almost certain to escape. 



The eggs of the Ruddy Duck are remarkably large in propor- 

 tion to the size of the bird, and are distinguished from those 

 of every other North American duck by the roughness of the 

 shell. 



Subfamily MERGING.— The Mergansers. 

 Genus MERGANSER Brisson. 



Merganser Briss. Orn. vi, 1760. 230. Type, Mergus merganser Link. 



Gen. Chae. Bill longer than the head, the breadth uniformly about equal to tho depth, 

 the .serratiODH conical, acute, an 1 pointed backward: cre.st occipital, pointed, or scarcely 

 developed and depressed. Tar.ius nearly three fourths the middle toe, with olaw. Tail 

 about hulf the length of the wines Bill mostly reddish. Adult ma/e.i with head and upper 

 neck greenish black, the occiput crested; rump. upper tail-coverts, and tail, plain ash-gray; 

 rest of upp'jr parts mainly pied black and whiiish: lower part^ rich creamy white or pale 

 salmon-color. Adult females with head and uppeiv neck cinnamon-brownish (occiput 

 crested, as in tho male), chin aud part of throat white; upper parts grayish, with some 

 white on wings; lower parts bulTy white. 



The two North American species of this genus may be readily 

 distinguished as follows, the females alone resembling one 

 another: 



\. M. americanus. Nostrils situated near the middle of the maxilla; frontal feathers extend- 

 ing farther t>rward than ho-'e on lateral base of bill. Adult male: Head and most of 

 the neck greenish bla:k; head slightly created; chest and other lower parts creamy 

 white, or pale salmon-color. Adult female: H tad ind neck reddish (chin and throat 

 white), the Ov^^clput with a ful crest of lengthened feathers. Above, chiefly bluish gray. • 



2. H. serrator. Nostrils situated near the biiso ol the muxllla: feathers on lateral base of 

 bill extending farlher forward than thoie on the forehead. Adult male: Head ilull 

 Kreenlsh block, the occiput with a long pointed crestof narrow foatho s; neck and sides 

 of the cheat dull bulT, or light cinnamon, streaked with blook; other lower parts 



