812 
U. S. P. E. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 
Sometimes the females have the upper parts waved transversely with hrownish yellow. 
Generally there is no white on the wings, but in one specimen from San Pasqual the secondaries 
and the greater tail coverts are narrowly tipped with white. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col- 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1184 
315 
4551 
5472 
4635 
8635 
5138 
9848 
9847 
4607 
9846 
Oct. 26,1843 
Oct. 27,1843 
April -.1856 
Oct. —,1856 
May —,1855 
Oct. 10,1857 
Jan. 10,1855 
April — , 1855 
Nov. 21,1854 
15.00 
15.50 
23.75 
23.00 
6.00 
8 
Q 
Near mouth Platte river. 
Lieut. Warren.... 
Dr. Hayden. . 
13.50 
21.00 
5.75 
9 
100 m . east of Laramie . . 
Crossing of Pecos, N. M. 
Wm. M. Magravv. 
217 
97 
65 
10 
Dr. Cooper. . . 
15.00 
23.00 
5.75 
Iris brown, bill black, feet 
black. 
Dr. Kennerly. 
San Pasqual, Cal 
do 
15.50 
22.00 
6.00 
Eyes reddish brown, bill black, 
feet gray. 
Bodega, Cal 
Dec. —,1854 
Lieut. Trowbridge 
Sub-Family MERGINAE. 
Ch. — Bill very slender, narrow, compressed, terminated by a conspicuous nail. Edges much serrated, the serrations 
projecting. Tarsi much compressed ; the scales anteriorly large and transverse, becoming smaller and smaller on the sides and 
behind. Tail feathers 18 in North American species. 
The Merginae or fishing ducks are represented in the United States by three well established 
species, placed by modern systematists in as many genera. Two of these, however, are so 
nearly alike that I prefer to consider tbem as the same ; the third is sufficiently distinct. The 
Mergus albellus of Europe is scarcely entitled to a place in our fauna. 
The genera adopted may easily be recognized by the following characters : 
Mergus. — Most of bill red. Serrations acute, recurved. Tarsi two-thirds the length of 
middle toe. Head with a depressed crest. 
Lophodytes. — Bill black. Serrations oblique. Tarsi half the middle toe. Head with an erect 
vertical crest. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
Catal. 
No. 
Species. 
Locality. 
m 
Length. 
Stretch of 
wings. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tarsus. 
Middle toe. 
Its claw 
alone. 
Bill above, 
from feath- 
Along gape. 
s 
Specimen 
measured. 
1304 
do. 
879 
do. 
311 
do. 
8679 
do. 
1311 
do. 
1306 
do. 
209 
3 
10.86 
11.00 
9.70 
9.75 
4 86 
1.84 
0.40 
2.07 
2.90 
2.54 
26.50 
21.00 
23.25 
22.50 
23.25 
38.25 
Fresh.... 
Q 
1.72 
2.48 
1.90 
2.33 
2.10 
33.50 
Fresh.... 
3 
4.00 
1.80 
2.65 
0.48 
2.24 
2.76 
33.00 
Fresh.... 
' Q 
9.10 
9.00 
7.90 
7.32 
7.30 
7.40 
7.10 
3.96 
1.74 
2.56 
0.36 
2.18 
2.56 
2.34 
20.00 
17.00 
17.50 
16.30 
17.50 
15.10 
31.50 
Fresh..., 
3 
4.26 
4.14 
1.20 
1.02 
2.20 
0.34 
1.50 
1.98 
1.70 
26.25 
25.00 
Fresh.... 
Q 
1.96 
0.28 
1.48 
1 66 
Skin 
Fresh... 
Skin 
Q 
4.12 
1.20 
2.06 
0.32 
1.43 
1.76 
1.60 
