82 
HOODED MERGANSER. 
MERGUS CUCULLATUS. 
[Plate LXIX.— Fig. 1, Male.'] 
Gmel. Syst, I, /). 544, No. 1. — Ind. Orn. p. 830, No. 5. Gen. Syn. Ill, p. 426, No. 4, pL 101. 
— UHarle liiipe de Virgink^ Briss. VI, p. 258, 8. — Lc Harle couronrie, Buff. VIII, p. 
280. PL Enl. 935 ; 93Q>y fimale. — Pound-crested Duck, Edw. pi. 360. — Catesby, pi. 
94 , — Arct. Zool. Ab. 467. — Peale’s Museum, No. 2930; female, 2931. 
THIS species on the seacoast is usually called the Hairy-head. 
Tlicy are more common, however, along our lakes and fresh water 
rivers than near the sea ; tracing up creeks, and visiting milhponds, 
diving perpetually for their food. In the creeks and rivers of the 
southern states they are very frequently seen during the winter. 
Like the Bed-breasted they are migratory, the manners, food, and 
places of resort of both being very much alike. ^ 
The Hooded Merganser is eighteen inches in length, and two 
feet in extent ; bill blackish red, narrow, thickly toothed, and fur- 
nished with a projecting nail at the extremity; the head is orna- 
mented with a large circular crest, which the bird has the faculty 
of raising or depressing at pleasure ; the fore part of this, as far 
as the eye, is black, thence to the hind-head white, and elegantly 
tipt with black ; it is composed of two separate rows of feathers, 
radiating from each side of the head, and which may be easily di- 
vided by the hand; irides golden; eye very small ; neck black, 
which spreads to and over the back ; part of the lesser wing-co- 
verts very pale ash, under which the greater coverts and seconda- 
ries form four alternate bars of black and white ; tertials long, 
black, and streaked down the middle with white ; the black on 
the back curves handsomely round in two points on the breast, 
Avhich, with the whole lower parts, is pure white ; sides under tlie 
