408 



WHITE MERGANSER.— SMEW, OR WHITE NUN. 



-f Mergus Albellus, Linn. 

 PLATE CCCCXIV.— Male and Female. 



The Smew is a bird of extremely rare occurrence in the United States, 

 insomuch that it must be considered merely as a transient or accidental 

 visiter. Indeed I have felt strong misgivings on reading Wilson's article 

 on this species, and cannot but think that he is mistaken when he states that 

 it "is much more common on the coast of New England than farther south;'' 

 and again "in the ponds of New England, and some of the lakes in the State 

 of New York, where the Smew is frequently observed — ." Now, although 

 I have made diligent inquiry, not only in New England, but in every part 

 of our country where I thought it likely that the Smew might occur, I have 

 not met with any person well acquainted with birds of this family, who has 

 seen it. Wilson, in short, was in all probability misinformed, and it is my 

 opinion that his figure was made from a stuffed European specimen which 

 was then in Peale's Museum in Philadelphia, and that he had taken the 

 Buffel-headed Duck, seen at a distance, for this species, as I am aware has 

 been the case with other individuals. 



The only specimen procured by me was shot by myself on Lake Barataria, 

 not far from New Orleans, in the winter of 1S19. It was an adult female in 

 fine plumage. How it had wandered so far south is an enigma to me; but 

 having found it, and made a drawing of it on the spot, I have taken the 

 liberty to add one of the other sex from an equally fine specimen. After all, 

 the Smew can scarcely be considered as belonging to the American Fauna, 

 any more than our Fork-tailed Hawk can with propriety be called a denizen 

 of England; and in this I am supported by all the great navigators of our 

 Arctic Seas, such as Ross, Parry, and Franklin, none of whom, nor any 

 of their companions, ever met with a single individual of this beautiful bird. 



Smew or White Nun, Mergus Albellus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. viii. p. 126. 



Mergus Albellus, Bonap. Syn., p. 398. 



Smew or White Nun, Nutt. Man. vol. ii. p. 467. 



Smew or White Ndn, Mergus Albellus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 350. 



Male, 17 J, 27. Female, 15£, 25. 



