46 



DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 



129. Merganser americanus (Cass.). AMERICAN MERGANSER: 



SHELDRAKE. 



Adult male. Head and short crest black glossed with green ; shoulders 

 black ; wing black, with white in middle ; rump and tail gray ; neck and 

 sides white ; breast creamy white or pale salmon. Adult female : head, 

 neck, and long thin crest light brown ; rest of upper parts bluish gray, 

 except white patch on middle of wing ; chin and breast white. Male : 

 length 25-27, wing 10.50-11.25, bill 1.90-2.20. Female: length 21-24, 

 wing 9.60-9.75, bill 1.80-2.00. 



Distribution. Whole of North America, breeding from Pennsylvania 

 and mountains of Colorado and California, northward. 



Nest. In hollow tree or on ground, lined with down. Eggs : 8 to 10, 

 pale buffy. 



The sheldrakes, while common and widely distributed, are never 

 abundant. They are usually found in pairs or small flocks along the 

 rivers or in open lakes where there are plenty of small fish. In sum- 

 mer the few that remain in the United States to breed keep princi- 

 pally in the high mountains, along the streams or lakes of the Boreal 

 zone. Even the half fledged young delight in the cold water and 

 foaming rapids of a mountain trout stream. VERXON. BAILEY. 



130. Merganser serrator (Linn.). RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 

 Adult male. Head and crest black, glossed with green ; neck white ; 



back black ; middle of wings white ; rump gray ; chest buffy brown, 

 streaked with blackish ; belly white or creamy ; sides gray. Adult female : 





Fig. 63. 



head and neck brown, darker and duller on crown and crest ; rest of upper 

 parts and tail slaty gray, except for white patch on wings ; under parts 

 white. Length: 20-25, wing 8.60-9.00, bill about 2.50. 



