RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 97 



flexure 9^ ; tail S/g ; tarsus It's ; ^^ind toe ||, its claw /^ ; inner toe l^"!, 

 its claw i| ; middle toe 2i\, its claw ^^ ; outer toe 2 T*g, its claw ||. 

 Weight 2 lb. 8 oz. 



Adult Female. Plate CCCCI. Fig. 2. 



The Female, which is of about the same size, differs in having the 

 crest shorter, and in wanting the broad abruptly-terminated feathers 

 anterior to the wing. The bill and feet are of a paler tint ; the head and 

 fore part of the neck light reddish-brown, the throat and all the imder 

 parts white, excepting the sides of the body and rump, and the larger 

 wing-coverts, which are brownish-grey. The hind neck, back, tail- 

 coverts, tail, scapulars, and wing-coverts are brownish-grey, the fea- 

 thers margined with paler. The wings are greyish-black, with a large 

 white patch, formed by the terminal portions of the secondary coverts, 

 and the greater part of some of the outer secondaries. 



Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of claws 24| ; extent of wings 

 341, bill along the ridge l^i^ ; wing from flexure 9^ ; tail 2>\. Weight 

 2 lb. 13 oz. 



The young of both sexes when fully fledged resemble the female. 

 The males assume the plumage of the adult at their second moult. 

 When about a fortnight old, the young, such as I found them in La- 

 brador, are entirely covered with soft down, which is dusky reddish- 

 brown on the head and hind neck, greyish-brown on the back, with 

 three white patches on each side, one terminating the wing, another a 

 little behind it, the third, which is larger, behind the leg. The lower 

 parts greyish-white ; a white band from the eye to the bill, a reddish- 

 broAvn band under the eye and along the side of the neck. 



An adult male examined. The roof of the mouth is flat, with a 

 median prominent line ; the upper mandible with about 35 conical, 

 compressed, recurved, tooth-like lamellae on each side ; the lower with 

 about 60. The aperture of the mouth is dilatable to 1^ inch, but in 

 its ordinary state measiu"es only 9 twelfths across. The tongue is nar- 

 row, tapering, 1 inch 8 twelfths long, with numerous papillae at the 

 base, and lateral series of recurved bristles. The apertm-e of the ear, 

 as in all the diving piscivorous birds, is extremely small, being only \ 

 twelfth in diameter, and in this respect resembling that of the Seals 



VOL. V, G 



