ANATIX.E — THE DUCKS — MERGUS. 



117 



contrally, finely mottled laterally with white-and-black zigzags. Tail slate-gray, with black sbalts. 

 Bill deep carmine, the culmeu black, the nail yellowish ; iris carmine; feet bright red. Adult 

 fnnale: Head and neck cinnamon-brown, duller or more grayish on the pileum and nape, the crest 

 shorter than in the male ; throat and lower jiarts white, the sides and Hanks ash-gray. Upper 

 parts dark ash-gray, the feathers with 

 darker shafts ; exposed portion of 

 greater coverts and secondaries white, 

 the base of the latter black, but sel- 

 dom showing as a narrow bar ; pri- 

 maries black. Bill, eyes, and feet as 

 in the male, but less intense in color. 

 Ytmng : Similar to the adult female, 

 but chin and throat pale reddish, 

 instead of pure white, the lower part 

 of the neck, and jugulum, brownish 

 white, with the feathers mouse-gray 

 licneath the surface ; black at base of 

 the secondaries exposed, forming a 

 narrow bar between two white areas. 

 Dninnj young: Above, hair-brown, 

 till' posterior border of each wing, and Fetnale. 



a large spot on each side of the rump, yellowisli-wliite; lower parts, including the malar region, 

 yellowish white ; side of head and neck reddish cinnamon, paler on the lores, which are ];ordered 



above by a dusky stripe running back to 



the anterior angle of the eye, and below liy 



a dark brown, rather indistinct, rictal stripe ; 



lower eyelid white. 



Total length, about 20.00 to 25.00 inches ; 



extent, 32.00 to 35.00 ; wing, 8.60-9.00 ; 



culmen, 2.50; tarsus, 1.80-1.90; middle 



toe, 2.40. 



The Eed-breasted IVforganser ap- 

 pears to be an inhabitant of the Avhole 

 of the more northerly portions of the 

 northern hemisphere. It is common 

 In the latter country it is found as far to the 



/'alius. 



to North America, Europe, and Asia, 

 east as China and Japan. 



This is far more marine than the larger species, tmd is i)rincipally, but not wholly, 

 confined to tlie sea-coast, ] reeding as far south as latitude 45° north, and thence 

 northward to an uncertain extent, varying with the conditions and peculiarities of 

 the localities. It certainly breeds as far north as Alaska, on the Pacific, and Green- 

 land, on the Atlantic coasts, as well as in Iceland and in other extremely northern 

 latitudes. 



This bird is included by Mr. Swiidioe in the fauna of Formosa, and is also given 

 by him as having been found at Amoy, China. Temminck mentions it as occurring 

 in Japan. It is given by Mr. T. L. Powys as not uncommon in winter in Epirus, 

 Albania, and Corfu; and Mr. C. A. Wright ("Ibis," 1864) speaks of this as being . 

 common species at Malta — as nuich rarer, however, in some years than in others. 

 It arrives there in November, but is present in much larger numbers in December and 

 January, immature birds being more abundant than adults. It is also said by Mr. H. 

 Saunders to occur in Southern Spain in winter, especially on Lake Albufera. 



It was met with on Nova Zembla by V^on Ileuglin; and was found, mingled with 



