BRITISH BIRDS. 357 



pointing the same way : the back, the coverts on 

 the ridge of the wings, and the primary quills are 

 black : the secondaries and greater coverts black, 

 tipped with white : the middle coverts and the 

 scapulars white : the sides, under the wings to the 

 tail, are agreeably variegated and crossed with 

 dark waved lines. The tail consists of sixteen 

 dark ash-coloured feathers; the middle ones about 

 three inches and a half long, the rest gradually 

 tapering off shorter on each side : the legs and 

 feet are of a bluish lead colour. This species, 

 which seldom visits this country except in very 

 severe winters, is at once distinguished from the 

 rest of the ^fcrgi by its black and white piebald 

 appearance, although the individuals vary from 

 each other in the proportion and extent of those 

 colours on their plumage. 



The Red-headed Smew (Mcrgus in i unfits) had 

 long been considered by some ornithologists as a 

 distinct species; while others have maintained that 

 it is the female of the Smew. It is now, however, 

 believed to be either the young male, or the female 

 of that bird. The latter are occasionally found 

 with the black spot at the base of the upper man- 

 dible, like the male. 



