Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/418

 406 MERGANSER a conspicuous nail, with the edges serrated; tarsi much compressed, the scales largest an- teriorly; and the tail feathers 18 in the North American species. In the genus mergus (Linn.) the bill is longer than the head, and mostly red, with the serrations conical, acute, and recurved ; the tarsi about two thirds of the middle toe, tail about half the length of the wings, and head with a depressed crest. The red-breast- ed merganser (M. serrator, Linn.), sometimes called sheldrake in this country, is about 2 ft. long, with an extent of wings of 33 in., bill 2 in., and a weight of 2 Ibs. In the male, the head and upper neck are dark green, the throat reddish brown with black streaks, sides finely barred with transverse black lines, feathers in front of wing white with black margins, white of wing crossed by two black bars, and under parts reddish white; head with conspicuous pointed crest; nostrils posterior. In the fe- male, the upper parts are ash-colored, the low- er reddish white, compressed crest chestnut Ked-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). 1. Male. 2. Female. brown, black at base of secondaries exposed; outer tertials white, edged with black. This bird is distributed over the whole of North America and Europe, fishing chiefly in fresh water; it breeds in the middle and eastern states, and as far north as Labrador, begin- ning to build, according to latitude, from the first of March to the middle of May, among the rank grasses near fresh water ; the nest is carefully made of dried weeds and mosses, and lined with down from the breast of the female ; the eggs are from 6 to 10, 2 by If in., in shape like those of the domestic fowl, and of a uni- form pale yellowish cream color ; the young take to the water at once, swimming and diving with great expertness. It is a very shy bird, and difficult to procure ; the flight is rapid and well sustained ; the habits are gluttonous ; the food consists of fish, and its flesh is tough and fishy. In the genus lophodytes (Reich.) the bill is shorter than the head, black, with ob- lique, low, short serrations, and the point trun- cated and not recurved nor acute ; tail more than half the wings, tarsi half the middle toe, and head with an erect vertical crest. The only species is the hooded merganser (L. cucul- latus, Reich.), which is about 18 in. long, with an extent of wings of 26 in., bill 2 in., and a weight of about 1 Ib. In the male, the head, Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus,) Male. neck, and back are black, with the under parts and centre of crest white; sides chestnut brown, barred with black ; two black crescents on the white in front of the wing ; lesser cov- erts gray ; speculum of wing white, with a basal and median black bar; tertials black, with central white streaks ; crest semicircular. In the female, the crest is shorter and more pointed; the head and neck reddish brown; no pure black on the back nor bars on the sides; white on the wings less, and the size much smaller. This, with the exception of the Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) Female. European white merganser (mergellus albellus, Selby; see SMEW), is the handsomest of the family. The habits are those of the other mergansers; it is distributed over the whole of North America. The eggs are like those of the preceding species, except that they are