318 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XT11. 
The above dimensions and colours of the soft parts are compiled by 
Hume from different authors. 
Salvadori gives the total length as 21 inches, and the culmen 2°15’, 
whilst ne states the tarsus to be only 1:5". 
Blanford gives the bill from gape as 2°75". 
Adult Female-—Lores and upper part of head and neck pale rufes- 
cent-grey, with darker centres to the feathers, a faint supercilium dull 
rufescent-white ; a dark eye-streak like the lores; chin and throat 
rufescent-white ; remainder of head and neck dull rufous ; upper parts 
ashy-brown, most of the feathers edgel paler, lower parts white ; 
flanks mottled brown and white; primaries and innermost secondaries 
dark brown ; outer secondaries and their coyerts white, the latter with 
brown bases; remainder of wing coverts vine ; under wing 
coverts grey and white. 
“ Length, 22:0" to 23:5"; expanse, 28°0"” to 31:0"; wing, 8'5” 
to 9°3"; tail from insertion of feathers 2°7" to 3°6"; tarsus, 1°66" 
(OMliGo swore asmbomene lato 2 a. 
“Inthe young and females there is more dusky on the upper 
mandible, where the red is often ouly a lateral band, and the feet are 
duller coloured than in the adult male’? (Hume). 
“ Adult male in Summer—tIn the plumage that the male of this 
species assumes for a short time during the summer it resembles the 
female, hut is distinguishable by its larger size, the different colour of 
the abdomen and of the scapulars” (Dresser). 
‘“ Young male closely resembles the female, especially whe the latter 
is in fresh plumage with a greyish tinge, but can usually be distin- 
guished by its larger size and shorter crest ” (Dresser). 
“ Mules in first nuptial dress have the lower back brown, and the 
white round the neck streaked with brown” (Salvadori). 
“Young in down are dark brown on the upper parts, shading 
into reddish-brown on the head, and into reddish-brown on the 
sides of the neck; a white patch on each wing, one on each side 
of the upper back, and one on each side of the rump ; underparts pure 
white, and lores white, margined above and below with dark brown” 
(Seebohm). 
The Red-breasted Merganser is found practically throughout the 
Northern Hemisphere, breeding to the north and extending south to 
