628 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



nearly white, and the feathers of the crown and nape are elongated to a 

 conspicuous crest. The rest of the upper parts are slate-grey, obscurely 

 streaked with brown, especially on the back, and barred with pale grey on 

 the sides of the breast and rump. The central secondaries are white, and 

 the greater wing-coverts are broadly tipped with white. The underparts 

 below the centre of the throat are white, marked with slate-grey on the 

 lower throat, upper breast, and flanks. Young in first plumage closely 

 resemble adult females, but have shorter crests and have brown instead of 

 grey markings on the breast and flanks. Males may be distinguished by 

 paler feathers on the median wing-coverts and outer scapulars, and darker 

 feathers on the inner scapulars. Males in first nuptial dress have more 

 grey on the shoulders than adults. Males in moulting-plumage closely 

 resemble adult females, but have traces of a black ring round the neck, are 

 darker on the back and shoulders, and show the whitish wing of the imma- 

 ture bird. It is not known that young in down differ from those of the 

 Red-breasted Merganser. 



