526 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



The MergincB, or Fishing Ducks, are represented in the United Stales by three 

 well-established species, placed by modern -systematists in as many genera. Two 

 of these, however, are so nearly alike that I prefer to consider them as the same : the 

 third is siifficientlv distinct. 



MERGUS, LiNN.EUs. 



Mergus, Linn.eus, Syst. Nat. (1735). (Tj^pe M. castor, L.) 



Bill longer than the head, mostly red ; serrations conical, acute, recurved ; crest 



occipital, pointed, or depressed; tarsus about two-thirds the middle toe; tail about 



half the length of wings. 



MERGUS SEREATOR.— XJwnffiMs. 



The Red-breasted Merganser. 



Mergus serrator, Linnreus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 208. Wils. Am. Cm., VIIL 



(1814) 81. Nutt. Man., IL (1834) 463. Aud. Cm. Biog., V. (1839) 92. lb., Birds 



Am., VL (1843) 395. 



Description. 



Feathers of the forehead extending on the bill in a short obtuse angle, and fall- 

 ing far short of the end of those on the sides; the outline of the latter sloping rapidlj' 

 forwards, and reaching half-way from the posterior end of the lower edge of bill to 

 the nostrils, and far beyond those on the side of lower jaw; nostrils narrow, pos- 

 terior; their posterior outline opposite the end of basal third of commissure. 



Male. — Head with conspicuous pointed occipital crest; head and upper part of 

 neck, all around, dark-green; under parts reddish-white; jugulum reddish-brown, 

 streaked with black ; sides conspicuously barred transversely with fine lines of black ; 

 feathers anterior to wing white, margined with black; white of wing crossed by two 

 bars of black ; iris red. 



Female. — Head with compressed occipital crest; chestnut-brown; body above 

 ash; beneath reddish-white; the black at base of secondaries exposed; outer tertials 

 white, edged with black. 



Length, twentj'-three and twenty-five one-hnndredths inches; wing, eight and 

 sixty onc-hundredths; tarsus, one and eighty one-hundredths; commissure, two 

 and seventy-six one-hundredths inches. 



Hab. — Whole of North America and Europe. 



This species is quite abundant on our coast in the autumn 

 and winter months. It docs not appear to be gregarious to 

 a great extent ; for seldom more than three or four individu- 

 als are observed together. It is an expert diver, swimming 

 to a great distance beneath the water at the least alarm, 

 and, when appearing at the surface, usually only thrusting 

 its head out to reconnoitre. I have seen it swimming, with 

 only the bill and upper part of its head above water, in the 



