United States; accidental in Europe. 



VEKTEBllATA. 



This is the Spirit-Duck of Nuttall ; and is so called by 



the Indians, on account of its ex- 

 pcrtness in diving; for the same 

 reason the whites call it Little 

 Dip2)cr. It is also named But- 

 ter-Box and Butter-Ball. 



The Ruddy Duck, F. ruhida, 



>■ 

 M- 



THE HARLEliUIN DUCK. (See p. 325. 



is fifteen inches long ; abund- 

 ant througliout the interior of 

 North America; more rare on 

 the coast ; is known by the 

 names of Salt-water Teal^ Dun- 

 Bird, Dun-Diver, and Looby. 



In addition to these, the Smith- 

 sonian Catalogue has the fol- 

 lowing : Little Black-Head, 

 F. affinis ; Ring-Neck Duck, 

 F. coUaris ; Black-masked 

 Duck, Frismatura Dominica, 

 &c. ; all known in American 

 waters. 



Genus MERGUS : Mergus. — 

 This includes the Mergansers, 

 which are noted for a thin, 

 roundish bill, with a hooked nail 

 at the point. They inhabit cold, 

 northern regions ; arc very act- 

 ive on the water, swimming and 

 diving with the utmost facility, 

 and fecdinof voraciously on fishes 

 and aquatic insects. The nest 

 is composed of roots, grass, <tc., 

 and is placed near tlie water, 

 concealed among bushes and 

 herbage. 



The Hooded Merganser, il/. 

 cucullatus, a very handsome bird, 

 is nineteen inches long; the 

 head ornamented with a half-cir- 

 cular crest ; common in North 

 America ; accidental in Europe. 

 This is the Hooded Sheldrake 

 of De Kay, and is popularly 

 called Hairy-Head and Wa.ter- 

 Pheasani along our coast. 



The Smew or White Nun, M. 

 albellus,\s seventeen and a half inches long; common in Europe; accidental in the United 

 States. 



The Red-breasted Merganser, M. serrator, is twenty-one inches long ; found in Europe and 

 North America. This is the Red-hreasted Sheldrake of De Kay, and is popularly called Saw- 

 Bill, Whistler, and Pied Sheldrake. 



The Goosander, u¥. merganser — Harle of the French, Gansen-Sdger of the Germans, and Mcrgo 

 oi the Italians — is a large species, twenty-six and a half inches long ; found in Europe and 



THE BUFFLE-HEAPED DUCK. 



