THE HOODED MERGANSER. 623 



No. 309. 



HOODED MERGANSER. 



A. O. U. No. 131. Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.). 



Description.^^ dw/i male : Head with a large compressed serai-circular 

 crest; sides of crest white in large sector, or open-fan-shaped patch; the edge 

 black in a sharply defined border; fore-crown deep brown; remainder of head 

 and neck all around, upper parts, and two transverse crescentic bars on each side 

 mvading white of breast, deep brownish black (coal black on lower scapulars) ; 

 lesser and middle wing-coverts ashy gray; speculum and tips of greater coverts 

 white ; two small transverse black bars formed by exposed bases of greater coverts 

 and of secondaries ; inner secondaries and tertials white, heavily bordered with 

 black ; sides pale to rich cinnamon-rufous, wavy-barred with dusky ; bill compara- 

 tively short, narrow, black; nostril barely within basal third (measured from 

 anterior margin of loral feathering) ; feet light brown ; eyes yellow. Adult 

 female : Head, neck, fore breast, sides of breast and sides dull grayish brown ; 

 the crest much thinner than in male, entirely cinnamon-brown; upper parts deep 

 brown, blackening on lower scapulars; wings the same with traces of white on 

 edges of speculum ; lower breast and belly white, shaded with brownish on crissum ; 

 bill dusky, orange at base and, on lower mandible. Immature : Similar to adult 

 female, but crest undeveloped. Length 17.00-19.00 (431.8-482.6) ; av. of five 

 Columbus males: wing 7.63 (193.8); tail 3.60 (91.4); bill 1.56 (39.6); tarsus 

 1.28 (32.5). Females average somewhat smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Larger than a Teal ; very conspicuously round-crested. 

 The male even at a superficial glance could be confused only with a BufHehead 

 ( Charitonetta albeola) . It differs from it in that the white of crest does not come 

 to the edge ; and, of course, in its entirely different bill. On more quiet waters, — 

 ponds and sluggish streams. 



Nest, in a hole of a tree or stump, lined with grasses, etc., and feathers. 

 Eggs, 10-12, sometimes more, pale buffy white. Av. size, 2.10 x 1.75 (53.3 x 44.5). 



General Range. — North America generally, south to Mexico and Cuba, breed- 

 mg nearly throughout its range. Casual in Europe. 



Range in Ohio. — Rather common migrant. Formerly resident in summer, 

 but probably not now to be found. 



THIS smaller species is rather the most common ol the group with us, 

 being not infrequently found during migrations in pairs or small groups upon 

 the rivers and ponds. It is a master diver, and if it has room enough, is 

 more apt to seek to escape from sudden danger by diving and hiding, than by 

 flight. Altho its flesh is not highly prized, it suffers periodical persecution 

 along with everything remotely resembling a duck. It has, however, the 

 occasional advantage of being able to dodge at the flash of a gun. Besides, 

 if shot, it has about nine chances of escaping the pot, through its marvellous 

 powers of hiding, utilizing for this purpose the exposed roots of river banks, 

 or even, in extremity, clinging to some object in the bottom of the stream. 



