110 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 
dinally streaked with dusky, gacli 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 dee$ 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 while ; 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 24i inches ; to end of wings 221 ; to end of claws 
252 ; extent of wings 33 ; bill along the ridge 2 T \ ; wing from flexure 91 ; 
tail 3 t 6 2 ; tarsus l T 7 a ; hind toe -f , its claw T \ ; inner toe ly 0 ^, its claw || ; 
middle toe 2^-, its claw \\ ; outer toe 2 T S 2, its claw T s |. Weight 21bs. 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 24f ; extent of wings 34i, 
bill along the ridge 2^2 ; wing from flexure 9§ ; tail 3L 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, 
