the smews. 
51 
cataract^^'^k''^'*^^^-’ filled with a roar like that of a 
thoiiQT ’.q ^ rapid vibrations produced in the air by tens of 
sands of wings could be plainly felt.” 
grass*- ^ depression of the ground, or in a tuft of 
j ade of weeds, or moss, twigs, and water-plants. 
of ^kp* in number. They resemble those 
Sliahtt Scoter and the Velvet Scoter, but are smaller, 
b y Sreenish cream-colour. Axis, 2-4 inches; diam., i '6. 
the mergansers. SUB-FAMILY MERGING. 
n^i 
natural of this Sub-family constitute a small, but very 
toe with°'^°^^ Diving Ducks. They have the hind- 
Family i as is usual in this group of the 
stiffened ‘®' They have only an ordinary tail, not the 
Ducks natural allies, the American Torrent- 
Fill is World Eris 7 naturce, but the 
HmellEe ■ 1 the lower mandible shows no trace of 
odge and ^k ^ series of serrations, like teeth, on its upper 
mandible found along the edge of the upper 
as in the ^ teeth, but they are not real teeth, 
Hesperorn V '^^Tk' ^ocient birds like Archaopteryx and 
skull fnr”rk f"*® 's easily proved by an examination of the 
the marline ^ c k being removed, it is seen that 
no trace mandibles are perfectly smooth, and bear 
m trace of serrations or teeth. 
the smews, genus merges. 
Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 207 (1766). 
Type, M. aldellus, Linn. 
1 he Smews are re 
comes, of course t ^y a single species, which be- 
other Mermans;;’ C is easily recognised from the 
which is shorter thin tk^ culmen, or ridge, of 
Mergus is a PM* ‘^e bird. 
high north, and wand^e?'^“^ breeding in the 
andenng south m winter. 
E 2 
