Ill 



DUCKS 



DUCKS. 



der. This species is the Sugherone of the Italians ; the Meer-Rack 

 and See-Rack of the Germans ; VVrakfogel, Kjorkfogel, Ard, and Skraka, 

 of the ' Fauna Suecica ; ' Skallesluger of the Danes ; Skior-And of the 

 Icelanders ; Peksok of the Greenlanders ; Seek of the Cree Indians ; 

 Hwyad ddanhe-dog of the Welsh ; and Jack-Saw of the English. It 

 is supposed to be the Kaoropos "Opvu of the Greeks ; the Fiber and 

 Castor Ales of the Latins ; and is the Bieure of the old French. 



The very old male has a tufted head (the tuft large and thick), and 

 part of the neck greenish-black, the reflection varying in different 

 lights ; lower part of the neck, breast, belly, abdomen, coverts of the 

 wings and scapulars farthest from the body, tinged of a yellowish- 

 rose-colour (which soon fades in stuffed specimens to white) on the 

 under parts ; upper part of the back and scapulars nearest to the 

 body deep black ; quills blackish ; great coverts bordered with black ; 

 rest of the back and tail ash-coloured ; beauty-spot on the wing white, 

 without transverse bands; bill deep red, black above and on the 

 terminal tail ; iris reddish-brown, sometimes red ; feet vermilion-red. 

 Length 26 to 28 inches. (Temm.) 



In this plumage the bird is the Mergui Merganser of Linnieus and 

 others ; Le Harle of Buffon and the French ; the Goosander or Mer- 

 sander of Latham and Pennant ; Gansen-Sager and Taucher-Gans of 

 Bechstein and the Germans ; Mergo, Oca Marina e Mergo Dominicano, 

 of the 'Stor. degl. Ucc. ;' and Dubbelde Zaagbek of Sepp. and the 

 Netherlanders. 



The female has a long and loose tuft ; head and part of the neck 

 reddish-brown ; throat pure white ; lower part of the neck, breast, 

 aides, and thighs whitish-ash ; all the upper parts deep ash ; beauty- 

 spot of the wing white, without any transverse band ; bill faded 

 red ; iris brown ; feet yellowish-red ; webs ashy-red. Length 24 or 

 25 inches. 



The young males of the year are similar to the females. 



The young at the age of one year are distinguished by blackish 

 spots disposed on the white of the neck ; the ruddy colour of the 

 neck is then terminated by a deeper colour ; blackish plumes begin 

 to show themselves on the top of the head, and white feathers appear 

 on the coverts of the wings. 



In this state the bird is the Mergiu ccator of Linnaeus and others ; 

 Meryiu rubricapilliu of Gmelin ; the Harle Femelle of Buffon ; the 

 Dun Diver or Sparling Fowl of Latham and others ; and the Mergo 

 Oca of the ' Stor. degl. Ucc.' 



ng in our latitudes unless the season indicates an exceedingly low 

 emperature hi the arctic circle : at such times it frequents our 

 lores and unfrozen lakes either in pairs or in small flocks of seven 

 r eight ; but the extensive inland waters of Holland and Germany 

 ppear to be its favourite resort." This species was shot at Fulham 

 n the severe winter of 1837. It appears in Sir John Richardson's 

 at of birds that they merely winter in Pennsylvania and migrate in 

 ummer to rear their young in the Fur Countries ; the specimen 

 escribed by him was killed on the Saskatchewan. It also occurs in 

 Jolonel Sabine's list of Greenland Birds. Prince Bonaparte notes it 

 as rather rare in winter in Rome, and as not common in the same 

 eason in Philadelphia ('Specchio Comparative'), and as occurring in 

 Europe generally, and in America generally, in his ' Geographical and 

 Comparative List of the Birds of Europe and North America.' It was 

 een in Japan by Dr. Von Siebold and M. Burger. 



Mergus. Bill about as long, or longer, than the head, straight, 

 lender, rather pointed ; the base large, forming an elongated and 

 ilmost a cylindrical cone ; point of the upper mandible curved, and 

 th the horny nail forming a hook ; edges of both mandibles fur- 

 Jshed with saw-like teeth, the points directed backwards. Nostrils 

 ateral, about the middle of the beak, longitudinally elliptic. Legs 

 hort, placed rather backwards ; three toes in front, webbed, hind toe 

 with a lobe or membrane. Wings moderate ; the first and second 

 quill-feathers nearly equal in length. 



M. albellns. The old male has a great spot of greenish black on 

 each side of the bill, a similar coloured but longitudinal one on the 

 occiput ; the tufted crest, neck, scapulars, small coverts of the wings, 

 and all the lower parts, very pure white ; upper part of the back, the 

 ,wo crescents which are directed under the sides of the breast, 

 and the edges of the scapulars, deep black ; tail ash-coloured ; sides 

 and thighs varied with ash-coloured zig-zags ; bill, legs (tarsi), and 

 toes, bluish-ash webs black ; iris brown. Length 15 to IB inches. 



Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Linn.). 



Lower figure, male ; upper figure, female. 



,The food of the Goosander consists of small fish, crustaceans am 



mollusks. Temminck says that its nest is placed among rollei 



pebbles on the banks of waters, in bushes or in hollow trees, and tha 



it lays twelve or fourteen whitish eggs, which are nearly equal! 



pointed at each end. The flesh is very rank and bad. Graves, wh 



tasted one, pronounces it to have been offensive in the highest degree 



The old French quatrain in the ' Portraits des Oyseaux,' gives th 



following description of its habits and of its quality as food : 



Le Bieure ncait aux estangs M plonger 



Pour le poisson, auquel eat dommageable. 



Mail qui rouldroit festoyer un diable, 



Fatildroit un Bieure avoir pour son manger. 



Mr. Gould ('Birds of Europe') states that "its native localit 



appears to be the northern regions of the continents of Europe an 



America, where among large and unfrequented lakes it finds an asy 



Inm un.l l.m ding-place; from these, its summer haunts, it emigrate 



noiithwrmls on the approach of the severities of winter, seldom appear 



Mergta albe /his. Upper hjjurc, male ; lower figure, female. (Gould.) 

 In this state the bird is M. albdlvus of Linnaeus and others ; Le 

 Petit Harle Huppd ou La Piette of Buffon ; the Weiser Sager of Bech- 

 stein and others ; the Witte non Duiker of Sepp. ; the Mergo Oca 

 Minore of the ' Stor. degl. Ucc. ;' and the Smew or White Nun of the 

 English ornithologists. 



The female has the summit of the head, cheeks, and occiput, reddish- 

 brown ; throat, upper part of the neck, belly, and abdomen, white ; 

 lower part of the neck, breast, sides, and rump, bright ash ; upper 

 parts and tail deep ash ; wings variegated with white, ash, and black. 

 Length 15 inches. 



Young of the year, similar to the female. 



The males at the age of one year are distinguished by the small 

 blackish feathers which form the great spot at the side of the bill ; 

 by some whitish and white feathers scattered on the head ; by the 

 upper part of the back, which is variegated with black and ash- 

 coloured feathers ; and by iudications of the two black crescents on 

 the side of the breast The young of both sexes have the great 

 coverts of the wings terminated by a large white space, while the old 

 ones have no white there except at the point. 



The females and young of the year are the Mergus minutus, Linn. ; 

 M. Asiatic, Gm. ; M. stellatut, Brunn. ; M. Pannonicus, Scop. ; La 

 Piette Femelle, Buff. ; Le Harle EtoiliS (young male), Buff. ; Mergo Oca 

 Minore (female), and Mergo Oca Cenerino (young male of the year), 

 ' Stor. degl. Ucc. ; ' De Kleine Zaagbek (young of the year), Sepp. ; 

 and Red-Headed Smew (young male in moult), Penn., 'Brit. Zoo!.' 



This species is the Kreutz-Eute of Frisch and the Germans ; the 

 Hviid Side of the Danes; Sugherone Occhialino of the Italians; 

 Lleiau wen of the Welsh; Smew and White Nun, Vare Widgeon, 

 and Smee, of the English. 



The food of the Smew consists of small crustaceans, water-insects, 

 mollusks, little fish, and water-plants. The nest, according to M. Tern- 



