BRITISH BIRDS. 355 



black; the lower, the rump, and sides, are prettily 

 marked with transverse zigzag lines of brown and 

 pale grey : the ridge of the wings, and adjoining 

 coverts, are dusky ; the feathers nearest to the 

 wings are white : the greater coverts, and some 

 of the secondary quills, black and white ; the 

 others, and the scapulars, are also party-coloured 

 of the same hue : the primary quills are black ; 

 some of those next to the body tipped with white, 

 and others of them white on the upper half, and 

 black to their points ; the \vhite spot on the wing 

 barred in the male by two black lines. The tail 

 is short, its colour brown : the legs and feet of a 

 deep saffron red. The female is smaller than the 

 male ; the head is brown, and the back a brown- 

 ish slate colour. 



The females and young males, resemble the fe- 

 males of the Goosander, but may be easily dis- 

 tinguished from them, by the white spot on the 

 wings being transversely barred with ash. 



The Red-breasted Merganser is not common in 

 Britain, particularly in the southern parts of the 

 island ; but they are met with in great flocks at 

 Newfoundland, Greenland, and Hudson's Bay, 

 during the summer months ; they are found also 

 in various other northern parts of the world, and 

 in the Mediterranean sea. 



