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if nothing had happened. Forgetting my gun, I looked on with 

 astonishment, keeping my eye on him until he was lost to view ; 

 glancing at the place which he had left, I saw a collection of Wood, 

 and came to the conclusion that the lead which brought him down, 

 had also performed the office of surgeon, and by bleeding he was 

 resuscitated. Although feeding upon fish, in the fall its flesh is 

 tolerable. In the Spring, an oily substance diffuses itself through 

 the body, and the flesh is rancid. In calm weather they collect in 

 parties and amuse themselves by diving ; at a given signal they 

 pass under the water, some minutes elapsing before they rise. In 

 this way they pass hours, seeming highly delighted with their frolic. 

 In overcast and blustering weather, they keep moving about all 

 day ; in heavy storms, they take shelter in coves, and are occasion, 

 ally seen steering up the small creeks to roost in swamps. 



MERGUS CUCULLATUS-LINN. 



HOODED MERGANSERS. 



Hooded Merganser, Mergus cucullatus, Wilson. 



Mergus cucullatus, Bonap. 



Mergus cucullatus, Hooded Merganser, Sw. & Rich 



Hooded Merganser, Nuttall. 



Hooded Merganser, Mergus cucullatus, Audubon. 



Specif c Character— Bill black, rather short and narrow; head 

 furnished with a rounded crest, which is erect, rather high, and 

 double ; irides yellow. Adult male with the head ornamented with 

 a double erect and high crest, the fore part of which is black, 

 the hind part white, bordered with black ; sides of the head and the 

 upper part of the neck greenish-black; lower neck, breast, and ab- 

 domen white ; sides of the body brown, barred with dusky; lower 

 tail coverts brown, spotted with lighter brown ; tail dark brown, 

 much rounded; back brownish-black, which color passes round 

 on the breast; primaries brownish-black ; inner secondaries green- 

 ish-black, with a central line of white ; upper tail coverts blackish- 

 brown, margined with lighter brown. Length nineteen inches, 

 wing seven and three quarters. Female smaller— the crest brown,' 

 neck and upper parts lighter. 



