MEEGANSER. 471 



brown ; remaining secondaries and tertiaries and their greater and 

 median coverts white, but the secondaries and their greater coverts 

 are black at the base, forming two bars, and the tertiaries have 

 black outer borders ; lower parts from breast white. 



Female with crest shorter than in male ; crown and nape dull 

 brownish rufous, sides of head and neck brighter rufous ; chin and 

 throat white, tinged and streaked with rufous ; upper parts, tail, 

 and wing-coverts dull brown, with greyish edges to the feathers 

 primaries and tertiaries blackish brown; secondaries and their 

 greater coverts white, dark brown towards the base ; lower surface 

 white. 



Bill in male bright vermilion with the nail black, the ridge of 

 upper mandible dusky ; irides bright red ; feet bright vermilion. In 

 females and young birds the colours are duller. The bill is 

 longer, narrower and much less hooked at the end than in 

 M. castor. 



Length of male about 22 ; tail 3*3 ; wing 9*75 ; tarsus 1*8 ; 

 bill from gape 2*75. Females are smaller : tail 3, wing 9. 



Distribution. Pretty well throughout the north temperate zone, 

 both on the sea-coast and in fresh water, breeding to the north- 

 ward and wintering in the Mediterranean area, Central Asia, the 

 United States, &c. Probably this bird is fairly common on the 

 coast of Baluchistan, but only two captures have been recorded 

 within Indian limits and one of these erroneously*. There are, 

 however, in the British Museum the wings of a bird obtained at 

 Karachi by Major Terbury. The Merganser shot in Bombay 

 harbour by Mr. Aitken may possibly, as already suggested, have 

 been this species. 



* The bird stated in Stray Feathers ' (I. s, c.) and the British Museum Cata- 

 logue to have been shot by Captain Bishop at Manora, Karachi harbour, was 

 really obtained by him at Cuahbar in Persian Baluchistan. This correction i& 

 founded on a letter from Captain Bishop to Mr. Camming, which I have seen. 



