MERGUS. 285 



322. Erismatura leucocephala. The White-faobd Duck. 



(? 16|" to 18". Legs plumbeous. Bill ultramarine. Crown black. Sides of 

 head white. Blackish neck-ring. Above hair-brown, minutely speckled fulvous. 

 Below bright orange-fulvous. — Female: Head black, with chin, lower cheeks, and 

 a stripe from upper mandible to gape white. Mediterranean to C. Asia, occasionally- 

 visiting K India. Seven to nine eggs, dull white. (B. 1611. H. & M. iii. 289.) 



Also E. jamaicends. 16". Legs grey-blue. Bill gi'ey-blue. Upper part of head black, 

 ■cheeks and chin white. Back, scapulars, sides, and flanks chestnut. Below silver-white. 

 Temperate N. America. 



E. maccoa. 18". Legs dark blue. Bill blue-black. Head and neck black. Upper breast, 

 .sides, and flanks chestnut. Beneath silver-grey. S. Africa. 



E. vittata. 17i". Legs black. Bill blue-grey. Head and nape black. Throat, breast, 

 sides, flanks, and above bright chestnut Axillaries grey, edged white. S. America. 



E. australis. 16". Legs grey. Bill light blue. Head, throat, and neck black. Breast, back, 

 ■and flanks chestnut. Rump black, freckled red. Below rufous-white. S. and W. Australia 

 and Tasmania. 



E. ferruginea. 17" Similar to E. vittata, but chin is white, and under tail-coverts rusty- 

 Ted. Bolivia and Peru. 



E. ceqiiatorialis. Similar to E. ferruginea, but under tail-coverts are white. Ecuador. 



Also the genus Thalassiomis. With nail of bill perpendicular : — 



T. leuconota. 16" to 17". Legs dark brown. Bill blue. Upper part of head, nape, and 

 throat black. Spot near base of bill buff. Sides of head yellow, spotted black. Back, 

 scapulars, and wing-coverts banded black and red. Rump white. Abdomen dusky. S. Africa. 



Also the genus Nomonyx. With nail of bill perpendicular : — 



N. dominicus. 15". Legs brown. Bill blue, nail and tip black. Head black. Chin with 

 naked skin black. Neck and breast cinnamon. Wings brown, with white speculum. Tropical 

 America, including the West Indies. 



Also the genus Biziura. With pendent lobe on chin. Tail of twenty-four feathers. One 



B. lohata, 26". Legs grey. Bill and lobe green-black. Upper part of head and nape dark 

 brown, sprinkled lighter. Chest and flanks blackish brown, narrowly barred white. Below 

 buff. Australia (except northern part) and Tasmania. 



Subfamily Merging. Mekgansees. 



Lower mandible without lamellae, but with tooth-like serrations on both 

 mandibles. Tail moderate, not particularly stiff. Hind toe broadly lobed (323- 

 325). Feet large. 



Genus MERGUS. 



Mergus, i, m. [mergo], a diver ; a diving-bird, in classical Latin. 



Bill narrow and toothed. An occipital crest, small in females. Do not acquire 

 iuU plumage till second autumnal moult. Tail wedge-shaped, of sixteen or eighteen 

 feathers. Palaearctic region. 



323. Mergus albellus. The Smew or Nun or White-headed Merganser. 



Albellus=tlie little white (albus) bird. 



Nihenne, Etawah; Chota Khoruk, Cabul; Boz aurdak, Tarkand. 



c? 17" to 18"; 1^ to If lbs. S 15 J" to 16f' ; 1 to IJ lbs. Legs lavender. 

 Bill bluish. Greater part of plumage white. A black patch, including eye and 

 ,gape. Beneath white, with two black bands. Eump grey. — Female: Head 

 red-brown. Below clouded ashy. N". Europe and Asia. In winter visits 

 O. and S. Europe, C. Asia, China, and N. India. Eggs (2-0 x 1-51) creamy buff. 

 <J. 973. B. 1612.) 



