212 MERGANSER. 



A. — Mergus Asiaticus, Gm. Lin. i. 548. Gmel. It. ii. 188. t. 20. 



Length fourteen inches and a half. The bill formed as in the 

 Smew, and red ; the head not crested in either sex, the feathers 

 being quite smooth ; upper part and sides of the head dull ferru- 

 ginous; throat and breast clouded with white on an obscure ground; 

 belly white ; back black ; on the wings a white space, with a black 

 speculum, bounded with white before and behind; prime quills 

 black; tail ash-colour ; legs dull red. 



Inhabits Astrachan. Gmelin observes, that the trachea of the 

 male is exactly like that of the Smew, from which it no doubt 

 differs only in age, or sex. 



7 —FORK-TAILED MERGANSER. 



Mergus furcifer, Ind. Orn. ii. 832. 8. Gm. Lin. i. 548. Schr. d. Berl. Nat. vii. 



458. 32. 

 Fork-tailed Merganser, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 339. 



The bill in this bird is black at the tip and base, and reddish in 

 the middle ; irides pale brown ; forehead and back light brown ; 

 from the ears, down the sides of the neck, to the breast a black stripe, 

 shaded for half the length with chestnut; hindhead and neck white; 

 breast, back, and rump, shaded with black, the feathers appearing 

 scaly ; belly and vent white ; tail black, forked as in the Swallow ; 

 the outer feathers white ; wing coverts shaded not unlike the back ; 

 lesser quills black, part of them white, making a long spot of that 

 colour between the back and wings. 



Inhabits Courland. 



