HOODED MEKGANSER.
MERGUS CUCULLATUS, Linn.
Mergus cucullatus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 207 (1766); Yarr. ed. 4,
iv. p. 509.
Merganser cucullatus, Macg. v. p. 225.
This beautiful American species is a rare visitor to
the British Islands, As I know nothing about it except
from books, I must refer my readers to the 4th ed. of
‘ Yarrell,’ where a full list of occurrences on our shores
up to date of publication may be found. It is there
stated that there is no authenticated instance of the
occurrence of this species on the continental coast of
Europe. I find, in Montague Chamberlain’s ‘ Handbook
of the Ornithology of the United States and
Canada,’ vol. ii. pp. 363, 364, that this species “ ranges
throughout North America, breeding from about latitude
45° to the vicinity of the Arctic Circle, and wintering
from Massachusetts (sparingly) to the Southern States.
It is rather common as a spring and fall migrant in
New England and adjacent provinces, but breeds in
numbers in the northern portions of Ontario and in
Manitoba.”