THE GEESE, SWANS, AND DUCKS. 243 



bird with a green patch on the crown and a white crest. 

 Like the rest of the group to which it and the next three 

 belong, the mandibles are serrated, which must give the 

 fish and frogs and the like, in pursuit of which it dives, 

 a very poor chance of escape. 



The Goosander, a very much larger bird than the last, 

 and distinguished by its dark-green head and crest, pink 



tGoos- breast and bright -red bill, is not only a 

 ander. winter visitor to Great Britain and, in smaller 

 numbers, to Ireland, but breeds in parts of Sutherland, 

 Argyll, and the neighbouring counties. The nest is in a 

 hollow trunk, or, less frecpently, on a ledge. Eggs^ 8 to 

 13, 2^ inches; brownish white. 



The Eed-breasted Merganser is a winter visitor to most 

 of our coasts, estuaries, and tidal rivers, breeding in many 

 tRed- loughs in Ireland (known as " Sheld-duck "), 



breasted as well as in most of the Scottish isles and 

 Merganser, ^^^^^r gpots on the mainland. It is a smaller, 



but more striking, bird than the last, having a green crest, 

 white collar, reddish breast, and white belly. Like the 

 Goosander, it is an unmitigated nuisance on the Highland 



