402 HOODED MERGANSER. 



pecially fond of swift tide-ways, where they display considerable agility in capturing small 

 fishes, which constitute the principle portion of their food. 



MERGUS CUCULLATUS. 



Hooded Merganser. 

 Mergus cucullatus LINN.. Syst. Nat., I, 1766, 207. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, rather slender. Size, small. Head, provided with long hood or crest. COLOR. Adult male. Head 

 and neck all around anil upper parts, encroaching in a collar on lower neck, black with violet reflection* on nil but wing- 

 and tail which are brownish. Sides and flanks, chostnut-red finely banded with black. Remainder of under parts, triangu- 

 lar patch on side of head and crest, central stripe on tertiaries, outer margin of secondaries, and tips of greater wing 'V- 

 erts, white. Iris, orange, bill, black, and feet, dusky-orange. Adult female. Brown on head, neck, sides, and upperpor- 

 tions, and white beneath. Youny. Similar to the adult female. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the peculiar crest and colors as described. Distributed in summer in suitable localities 1'rom Florida, north- 

 ward ; wintering in the South. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 18'25; stretch, 26-50; wing, 7'20; tail, 3'9*; bill, 

 1 60; tarsus, 1-30. Longest specimen, 19'25; greatest extent of wing, 27'50; longest wing, 7'90; tail, 4'55;bill, 1 "70; tarsus, 

 1-40. Shortest specimen, 17-25; smallest extent of wing, 25'5<); shortest wing, 6'50; tail, 3'40; bill, 1-50; tarsus, 1-20. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in holes of trees, composed of sticks, weeds, down, etc. Eggs, six to ten in number, rather spherical in 

 form, and white in color. Dimensions from I'70x2'10 to 1'75 x2'15. 



HABITS. 



There are, perhaps, few Ducks which are more noticeable on the water than the Hood- 

 ed Mergansers, especially when excited enough to raise the prominent crest, for when they 

 are at rest or feeding, these feathers are laid flat. Like all members of the genus, they 

 dive exceedingly well and swim under the water with ease. I found these fine Mergan- 

 sers abundant on Indian River, Florida, in winter, and also on the St. John's, late in May, 

 and thus concluded that they bred in the State, a hypothesis which was confirmed by Mr. 

 Brewster who informs me that he saw the young there in company with their parents; 

 hence it is probable that they breed throughout our eastern section in favorable localities, 

 from Florida, northward, but their favorite nesting site appears to be the woods of North- 

 ern New England, where the eggs are placed in holes of trees. 



ORDER XVI. STEGANOPODES. PELICANS, ETC. 



Toes, including posterior, connected by a membrane. Throat, provided with an exten- 

 sible gular sac. Marginal indentations, two, open. Keel, short and low, while thefurcula 

 is joined firmly to its tip. 



Members of this order are remarkable on account of the totipalmate feet and exten- 

 sible sac on throat which is always present, and in some species, enormously developed. 

 External nostrils, very minute. The anatomical structure is also peculiar but somewhat 

 variable, the most constant character being the form of the furcula, as given, and the fact 

 that it is always joined firmly to tip of keel. Sterno-trachealis, present; other laryngcal 

 muscles, absent or weak. Sexes, generally similar. For further description, see family 

 characters. 



FAMILY I. SULID^E. THE GANNETS. 



Bill, about as long as head, quite thick at base, and pointed. Gular sac, quite small. 

 Sternum, twice as long as wide. Coracoids, about one half as long as sternum. 



