AMERICAN MERGANSER 407 



tor. The male bird is a handsome fellow, with 

 a brilliant dark green head and neck. The un- 

 der parts of the body are of a delicate salmon 

 tint, growing fainter and changing to white on 

 the flanks and hinder parts; there are also 

 some fine dusky pencillings here. In stuffed 

 specimens the salmon tint below fades very 

 quickly, leaving scarcely a trace of itself. 

 Back and upper parts glossy black, fading to 

 ashy gray on the rump and tail. The wings 

 are mostly white above, crossed by a black 

 bar at the tips of the greater coverts and 

 forming a part of the frame for the white 

 speculum. The wing quills are dusky, nearly 

 black. The bill and feet are bright vermilion; 

 bill black on the ridge and having a black hook 

 on the end. Iris carmine. The male is but 

 slightly crested, this adornment being consider- 

 ably more prominent in the female, though even 

 here rather thin and loose-feathered. 



The female's head and neck are reddish brown 

 in color, with a whitish throat. On the back a 

 dull, bluish gray. There is less of the salmon 

 tint below than appears in the dress of the male. 

 Speculum white. Bill and feet same color as 

 the male's, but iris yellowish. 



