RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 399 



dinally streaked with dusky, each feather being laterally margined with that 

 colour. The lower parts are pure white, excepting the sides of the body and 

 rump, which are transversely undulated with greyish-black, and the larger 

 wing-coverts, which are ash-grey. The fore part of the back, and the inner 

 scapulars, are deep black; the feathers at the shoulder, or anterior to the 

 wing, white, with a broad margin of black; some of the anterior wing-coverts 

 ash-grey; the other small wing-coverts, the outer scapulars, and the terminal 

 half of the secondary coverts, pure white; the basal portion of the latter, the 

 primary coverts, and primary quills, black, the latter tinged with brownish- 

 grey; the secondaries white, with their base and the outer margin of most 

 black, which colour predominates on the inner. The middle and hind part 

 of the back ash-grey, undulated with white and dusky; the tail brownish- 

 grey. 



Length to end of tail 24^- inches; to end of wings 22^; to end of claws 

 25^; extent of wings 33; bill along the ridge 2^; wing from flexure 9^; 

 tail 3 T 6 2-; tarsus 1 T ^; hind toe yf, its claw T 2 ^; inner toe l~, its claw ff; 

 middle toe 2 T 4 2, its claw yfj outer toe 2^, its claw ||. Weight 2 lbs. 8 oz. 



Adult Female. 



The female, which is of about the same size, differs in having the crest 

 shorter, and in wanting the broad abruptly-terminated feathers anterior to 

 the wing. The bill and feet are of a paler tint; the head and fore part of 

 the neck light reddish-brown, the throat and all the under parts white, 

 excepting the sides of the body and rump, and the larger wing-coverts, 

 which are brownish-grey. The hind neck, back, tail-coverts, tail, scapulars, 

 and wing-coverts are brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler. The 

 wings are greyish-black, with a large white patch, formed by the terminal 

 portions of the secondary coverts, and the greater part of some of the outer 

 secondaries. 



Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of claws 24|; extent of wings 34^, 

 bill along the ridge 2^; wing from flexure 9^; tail 3f. Weight 2 lbs. 13 oz. 



The young of both sexes when fully fledged resemble the female. The 

 males assume the plumage of the adult at their second moult. When about 

 a fortnight old, the young, such as I found them in Labrador, are entirely 

 covered with soft down, which is dusky reddish-brown on the head and 

 hind neck, greyish-brown on the back, with three white patches on each 

 side, one terminating the wing, another a little behind it, the third, which is 

 larger, behind the leg. The lower parts greyish-white; a white band from 

 the eye to the bill, a reddish-brown band under the eye and along the side of 

 the neck. 



An adult male examined. The roof of the mouth is flat, with a median 

 prominent line; the upper mandible with about 35 conical, compressed, 



