ORNITHOLOGY. 



domen spotted with black and white, and the head 

 slightly crested, inhabits the warmer parts of America, 

 'and is remarkable for building in the holes of decayed 

 trees. 



The gadwall or gray, Anas strepera, the Dominican 

 duck, A. Dominicana, the Spanish duck, A. viduata, and 

 many other species, belong to this genus, — which might 

 include the teals, although these are separated by several 

 authors. 



The wigeons, genus Mareca, may be distinguished 

 from the ducks, as they have the bill shorter than the 

 head, higher than broad at the base, depressed and nar- 

 rowed towards the end ; the lamellae slightly projecting ; 

 the tail short and acute. They are, however, very inti- 

 mately allied to the pintails. 



Of this genus one of the best examples is the common 

 wigton, Mareca Penelope, which has the forehead yellow- 

 ish white, the rest of the head and the neck chesnut-red, 

 the back and flanks undulated with black and white. The 

 male of this species has been known to pair with the fe- 

 male pintail, and produce a hybrid brood. It also pairs 

 with the common duck. Wigeons are abundant in winter 

 in many parts of Britain, and are very much esteemed for 

 the table. 



The teals, genus Querquedula, are distinguished 

 from the other groups by their diminutive size. Their 

 bill is narrower than that of the wigeons, proportionally 

 longer, and has its base more elevated. The species are 

 generally very beautiful. 



The garganey teal, Querquedula circia, of a gray colour, 

 variegated with black, and having a white streak above 

 the eyes, with'a green spot on the wing, inhabits the more 

 temperate parts of Europe, and is abundant in Holland 

 during its winter migration. 



The common teal, Querquedula crecca, which has the 

 head brownish red, the body transversely undulated with 

 dusky, a white line above and another beneath the eye, 

 and the alar spot black and green, is plentiful in many 

 parts of Europe and North America; while the blue- 

 winged teal, Q. discors, characterized by the light blue 



colour of the wing-coverts, is peculiar to the latter conti- 

 nent, as is likewise the American teal, Q. Carolinensis. 



The second principal group named Mergida, consist- 

 ing of the genus Mergus of Linnaeus, includes the re- 

 maining birds of the great family of Lamellirostres, which 

 are usually designated by the vernacular name of mer- 

 gansers. They differ from the ducks in having their bill 

 slender, almost cylindrical, and furnished on the margins 

 with dentiform points directed backwards, and resembling 

 the teeth of a saw. (Plate CCCCII. fig. 6.) Their sum- 

 mer residence is in the colder regions of both continents, 

 whence they migrate southward on the approach of win- 

 ter. Their body is elongated and depressed, their feet 

 short and placed far behind, their wings rather long and 

 narrow, their neck of moderate length. They fly with ra- 

 pidity, swim and dive with the greatest facility, and gene- 

 rally feed on fishes. In their habits they are interme- 

 diate between the ducks and divers ; but in their organi- 

 zation and plumage they are more nearly allied to the for- 

 mer. Their tracheae, besides having an exceedingly large 

 dilatation at its bifurcation, is also enlarged previous to its 

 entrance into the thorax. In accordance with their pisci- 

 vorous propensities, their gullet is wider than that of the 

 ducks, and their gizzard less muscular. 



Three species occur in the temperate parts of Europe. 

 The goosander, Mergus merganser, of which the male is 

 black, with the lower parts buff-coloured, and the head 

 purplish green, with a slender elongated crest ; the red- 

 breasted merganser, M. serralor, about the size of the mal- 

 lard, also crested, the male black above, white beneath, 

 with the head dark green; and the smew, M. albeltus, 

 which is smaller than the golden-eye, varied with black 

 and white, and having a large compressed white crest. 

 All these occur also in the northern parts of America, 

 which has moreover a species peculiar to itself, the hooded 

 merganser, M. cucullatus (Plate CCCCII. fig. 7), of a 

 blackish colour above, white beneath, with a semicircular 

 black crest, white on each side. The females and young 

 of all the species differ greatly in colour from the adult 

 males. / T .) 



639 



llliger's 



Syslem. 



THE ORDERS, FAMILIES, AND GENERA, OF BIRDS, ACCORDING TO THE SYSTEM OF ILLIGER. 1 



Order I. — Scansores. 



Family Psittacini Gen. Psittacus, Pezoporus (iriZpxopi, pedester). 



Family Serrati Gen. Rhamphastos, Pteroglossus (ffrijov, penna, yXoeaa., lingua), Pogonias (viaymiai, 



barbatus), Corythaix (xoju&ug, galea, cristam movens), Trogon, Musophaga. 

 Family Amphiboli Gen. Crotophaga, Scythrops, Bucco, Cuculus, Centropus (xiwpv, stimulus, calcar ; 



wouj, pes). 



Family Sagittilingues Gen. Yunx, Picus. 



Family Syndaclyli Gen. Galbula. 



Order II — Ambulatores. 



Family Angulirostres Gen. Alcedo, Merops. 



Family Suspensi Gen. Trochilus. 



Family Tenuirostres Gen. Nectarinia (nectar florum haurientes), Tichodroma (rs/ye;, murus, iewa, curritans), 



Upupa. 



1 Prodromut Mammalium et Avium, Berlin, 1811. 



