116 



LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



Mergus serrator. 



THE RED-BREASTED SHELDRAKE. 



Mergus serrator, LiNN. S. N. cd. 10, I. 1758, 129 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 208. — Wils. Am. Orn. VIII. 

 1814, 81, pi. 69. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 462. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 463. — Aud. 

 Oni. Biog. V. 1839, 92, pi. 401 ; Syuop. 1839, 298 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 395, pi. 412. — Baird, 

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

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

 no. 637. 



Mergus cristatus, Brunn. Orn. Bor. 1764, 23. 



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



Mergus Icuconiclas, Gmel. tom. cit. 



Hab. Nortliern portion of northern lieniisphere ; in America migrating soiith, in M'inter, 

 throughout the United States. No extraliniital record. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Head dull gre'^nish black, duller and more brownish on the forehead 

 and throat, the crest f;iintly glossed with purplish ; neck and sides of the juguluni 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 parts pure creamy white, the 



sides and flanks undulated with 

 narrow zigzag bars of black. Back 

 and scapulars uniform black ; 

 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, edged with 

 j^fale. black ; inner secondaries entirely 



white ; outer secondaries, primary- 

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



