266 
British birds. 
RED-HEADED SMEW, 
OR WEESEL COOT. 
{Mergus minutuSi Lin. — VHarle etolle, BufF.) 
This bird meafures fifteen inches and a half in 
length, and twenty-four in breadth, and weighs 
about fourteen or fifteen ounces. The bill is of a 
bluifh lead colour, the tip dulky : the head and 
creft are of a reddifli brown, with a dufky fpot be- 
tween the bill and the eyes : the cheeks, throat, 
belly, fides of the body, and vent, are white : the 
middle of the neck is encircled with pale brown ; 
the lower part of it, the breaft, and flioulders, are 
clouded with dingy brown and pale grey : the ridge 
of the wings, and adjoining lelfer coverts are grey ; 
the middle coverts white ; the greater and the fe- 
condary quills, like thofe of the Smew, black, tip- 
ped with white ; the primary quills dufky : the back, 
fcapulars, rump, and tail, of a deep brownifli alh- 
colour : legs and feet dull pale blue. 
The Red-headed Smew has long been confider- 
ed, by fome ornithologifts, as a diftinQ: fpecies, 
while others have maintained that it is only the fe- 
male of the lafl ; and this matter is flill doubtful. 
Mr Pennant, in the fupplement to his Ardic Zoo- 
logy, fays, it is now found to be the female of the 
Smew j Mr Latham is of the fame opinion j — ^but 
