188 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



mainly whitfi. A dv.lt female: Very similar in color to that of it. americanvs, but dis- 

 tinguished by different position of the nostrils, and different outline of the feathering 

 at base of the bill, f^ize also smaller. 



Merganser americanus (Cass.) 



AMEEICAN MEEGANSEE. 



Popular synonyms. Buff-breasted Merganser; Buff-breasted Sheldrake: Saw-bill; Fish 



Duck; Sheldrake, ete. 

 Mergus merganser Wils. Am. Urn. viii. 1811. 08. pi. fiS {nee Linn.).— Sw. & Rich.F. B.-A. 

 ii. ISil, 461.— NuTT. Man. ii. 1831. 460.— AuD. Orn. Biog. iv. 1838,-2ill, pi. 331; Synop.l&.?9, 

 297; B. Am. vi. 18«, 387, pi. 411.— CouES, Key, 1872, 296; Check List, 1873, No. 521; 2cl 

 ed. 1882. No. 743; Birds N. W. 1874, .»"!.- Hensh. ZooI. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 483. 

 Merous americanus Cass. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. vi. 1853, 187.— Baibd, B. N. Am. 1858, 

 813; Cat. N. Am B. \m% No. 611. 



Mergus castor, a. americanus Bonap. Comot. Eend. xliii, 1856. 652. 



Mergus merganser /J. americanus Kidgw. Orn. 4iith Par. 1877. 627. 



Mergus VI erganser americanus Riegw. Proc. U. S.Nat. Mus.iii.18f 0,205; Nom. N. Am.B. 

 1881, No. 636.— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii. 1884, 112. 



Merganser americanus Stejn. Orn. Expl. Kamtsch.1885. 177.— A.O. TJ. Check List. 1886, 

 No. 129.- RiDGW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 89. 



Hab. Whole of North America, breeding from northern border of United States north- 

 ward. 



Sp. Chab. Adult male: Head and upper'half (or more) of the neck deep black, the 

 elongated feathers of the pileum and nape distinctly, other portions faintly, glossed with 

 greenish; whole back and innermost scapulars deep black; rump, upper tai!-eoverts, and 

 tail, plain cinereous; sides of thecrissum (anteriorly) and femoral region, whitish, narrowly 

 barred with slate-color; primary-coverts, primaries, and outer secondaries, plain blackish 

 dusky. EemaindHrot the plumage fine light salmon-buff in life, fading to buffy white in 

 dried skins; innermost secon^laries narrowiy skirled with black; base of the ■ reater 

 cove ts deep black, foi mine a distinct bar about half way across the wing; anterior border 

 of the wingdusky grayish or blackish. Bill deep vermilion-red, the culmen and nail black; 

 feet deep red; iris.'armine. Adult female: Head and upper hall of thi' neck reddish cinna- 

 mon, the pileum and occipital crest (the latter much longer than in the male) more brown, 

 the lores grayish; chin, throat, and malar region, white; upper parts, sides, and flanks 

 bluish gray, the innermost secondaries while, the exposed portion of the lower greater 

 coverts white, tipped with dusky; outermost secondaries, primary coverts, and primaries, 

 uniform slate-color. Lower parts, except laterally, pale creamy salmon-i olor, fading to 

 nearly white in dried specimens, the feathers of the chest ash-gray beneath the surface. 

 Bill. eyes, and feet, as in the male, but less brilliant in color. 



Voicny Young. Cpperhalt of the head, wiih nape, reddish brown, more reddish on the 

 nape, where enoroajhing on the sides of the neck; remaining upper parts hair-brown, or 

 grayish umber, relieved by four white spots, one on the posterior border of each wing, and 

 one on each side the rump; lower parts white; a stiipe on the lower half of th ■ lores, run- 

 ning backward beneath the eye, white; below this a narrower st ipe of deep brown, 

 from the rictus to the auricular region; a wide stripe, occup\ing theupperhalf of the lores, 

 from the b II totho eye, bla kish brown, this separated from the umber of the forehead by 

 a very indistin t streak of brownish white or pale brown.' 



Adult male. Total length, about 27 inches, extent, 36; wing, 10.50-11.25; culmen, 1.00-2.20; 

 tarsus. 1.911-2.00; middle too, 2.1(1-2.60. Adult f mi ale. Total length, nbou' 24 inches, extent, 

 34; wing. 9 00-9.75; culmen, 1.8t>-2.00; tarsus, 1.85-1.90; midd e toe, 2.25-2.40. 



• Described from No. 5,783, Brldger's Pass, Booky Mountains, Autt. IS. 1856; W. 8. Wood. 

 Distinguishable with certainty from the young of M. serrator by the different posiuoa of 

 the nostril. 



