116 LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS - ANSERES. 



Mergus senator. 



THE BED-BREASTED SHELDBAKE. 



Mergus aernttor, Linn. 8. N. n\. 10, I. 1758, 129; ed. 12, I. 1766, 208. — Wils. .\m. Orn. VIII. 

 1814, 81, pi. 69. — S\v. k Hicii. F. li. A. II. 1831, 402. — Nutt. Alan. II. 1834, 463. — AuD. 

 Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 92, pi. 401 ; Hynop. 1839, 298 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 395, pi. 412. — BAinn, 

 B. N. Am. 1858, 814 ; Cat. X. Am. B. 1859, no. 612. — CouEs, Key, 1872, 296 ; Check List, 

 1873, no. 522 ; 2d cd. 1882, no. 744 ; B. N. W. 1874, 584. — KiDow. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 no. 637. 



Mergus cristalus, Bhunk. Orn. Bor. 1764, 23. 



Mergus niijer, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 546. 



Mergus leticomelas, Gmel. tom. cit. 



Had. Nortlierii portion of northern lipniisphere ; in America inigriiting south, in winter, 

 throughout the Uniteil States. No extralimital record. 



Sp. Char. Adult male : Head dull |,'reenish black, duller and more brownish on the forehead 

 and throat, the crest faintly glossed with purplish ; neck and sides of the jugulum pale fawn-color or 



M. serrator. 



dull buff, indistinctly streaked with black, the streaks being on the edges of the feathers ; a white 

 collar round upper part of the neck, just below the black. Lower ])arts pure creamy white, the 



sides and llauks undulated with 

 narrow zigzag bars of black. Back 

 and scapulars uniform black j 

 shoulders overhung by a tuft of 

 broad feathers, broadly margined 

 with black, the central space be- 

 ing white. Anterior and outer 

 lesser wing- coverts dark slate-gray, 

 darker centrally ; posterior lesser 

 coverts and middle coverts wholly 

 white ; greater coverts with the 

 terminal half white, the basal half 

 black, partly exposed, thus forming 

 a narrow band or bar across the 

 wing ; two inner tertials wholly 

 black, the rest white, (;dged with 

 black ; inner secondaries entirely 

 white ; outer secondtuies, primary- 

 coverts, and primaries black. Rump and upper tail-coverts dark ash-grav, with black shafts 



MaU. 



