Class IL RED BREASTED MERGANSER. 215 



scapulars black ; the interior white ; the lower 

 part of the back, the coverts of the tail, and 

 feathers on the sides under the wings and over 

 the thighs grey, elegantly marked with ziczag 

 lines of black ; the coverts on the ridge of the 

 wings dusky; then succeeds a broadbar of Avhite; 

 the greater coverts half black, half white ; the 

 secondaries next the quil feathers marked in the 

 same manner ; the rest white, edged on one side 

 with black; the quil feathers dusky; the tail 

 short and brown ; the legs orange-colored. 



The head and upper part of the neck of the Female. 

 female is of a deep rust color; the crest short; 

 the throat white ; the fore part of the neck and 

 breast marbled with deep ash color ; the belly 

 white ; the great quil feathers dusky ; the lower 

 half of the nearest secondaries black ; the up- 

 per white ; the rest dusky ; the back, scapulars, 

 and tail ash colored; the upper half of the 

 first secondary feathers w^hite; the lower half 

 black ; the others dusky. 



These birds breed in the northern parts of 

 Great Britain; we have seen them and their 

 young on Loch Man in the county of Ross, 

 and in the isle of liaij. 



