AMERICAN MERGANSER 407 
tor. The male bird is a handsome fellow, with 
a brilliant dark green head and neck. The un- 
der parts of the body are of a delicate salmon 
tint, growing fainter and changing to white on 
the flanks and hinder parts; there are also 
some fine dusky pencillings here. In stuffed 
specimens the salmon tint below fades very 
quickly, leaving scarcely a trace of itself. 
Back and upper parts glossy black, fading to 
ashy gray on the rump and tail. The wings 
are mostly white above, crossed by a black 
bar at the tips of the greater coverts and 
forming a part of the frame for the white 
speculum. The wing quills are dusky, nearly 
black. The bill and feet are bright vermilion; 
bill black on the ridge and having a black hook 
on the end. Iris carmine. The male is but 
slightly crested, this adornment being consider- 
ably more prominent in the female, though even 
here rather thin and loose-feathered. 
The female’s head and neck are reddish brown 
in color, with a whitish throat. On the back a 
dull, bluish gray. There is less of the salmon 
tint below than appears in the dress of the male. 
Speculum white. Bill and feet same color as 
the male’s, but iris yellowish. 
