8 l:> RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.
The female is rather less in size than the male. Length, about one
foot nine inches; bill, dark orange reddish brown; iris, orange red.
The head and crown, on which latter the feathers arc darker, and at
its back elongated, arc reddish brown; neck behind and nape, also
reddish brown; chin, paler brown, or greyish white. Throat and breast
on the upper part, white, spotted with dusky, t h e centres of t h e feathers
being of that hue, below the breast is white; the sides blackish grey,
the edges of the feathers paler. Back, brown, or blackish grey, the
edges of the leathers paler.
Greater wing coverts, dark brownish black, ended with white; lesser
wing coverts, brown; primaries, dark brownish black; secondaries,
dark brownish black, the ends white, forming with the tij>s of the
greater coverts two white bands across the wing—a double speculum,
as it were; tertiaries, white, but broadly edged with dark brownish
black, and except on one or two the white is impure. Tail, brownish
grey; upper tail coverts, brownish grey; under tail coverts, white.
Legs and toes, dull orange reddish.
When first hatched the young arc dark brown above, below white,
the sides of the neck reddish.
The young male afterwards resembles the female, but is brighter
coloured. The bill is pale red, the ridge of the upper mandible horncolour,
the head dark brown, the crest very short, the chin nearly
white, but tinged with brown. The lower part of the neck grey, tipped
with white; the back of the neck grey; breast, dull white, the flanks
grey; back and lesser wing coverts, hoary g r e y ; primaries, dark brown,
the outer webs black; secondaries the same, except six, which are
broadly tipped with white, forming the speculum, which, when closed,
has a dark wedge-shaped mark across it. The wings underneath
mottled with grey and white; under tail coverts, grey. Legs and toes,
dull orange, the joints tinged with dusky; the webs dusky grey.