RED-BREASTED GOOSANDER. 221 



inches in length in the same sex. The males, when full- 

 grown, vary little in colour, and the same may be said of the 

 females ; but the former change colour in summer, like many 

 Ducks. The lower parts are sometimes, especially in rather 

 young males, of a fine ochraceous tint, richest in winter and 

 spring, and fading in summer. 



Habits. — The summer residence of this species is in the 

 northern parts of both continents, from the colder temperate 

 regions to the borders of the polar ice. In winter it advances 

 southward, in America as far as the Gulf of Mexico, and in 

 Europe to the coasts of France, as well as to Switzerland and 

 Italy. It seems, therefore, somewhat strange that in Eng- 

 land it is of rare occurrence at that season in the southern 

 districts, while in the firths and lakes of Scotland it is not 

 uncommon. In the latter country it is generally dispersed, 

 but in summer is not met with to the south of the Moray 

 Firth on the eastern side, or to that of the Clyde on the 

 western. In winter it betakes itself chiefly to streams and 

 lakes, resorting to the sea when they are frozen, and in sum- 

 mer it seems to prefer the same situations, although it may 

 often be seen on the sea. In the outer Hebrides, in March, 

 April, and part of May, and again in autumn, I have seen 

 very large flocks in the small sandy bays, fishing day after 

 day for sand-eels. They sit in the water much in the manner 

 of the Cormorants, but without sinking so deep, unless when 

 alarmed, and advance with great speed. It is a pleasant 

 occupation to an idle scholar or wandering ornithologist to 

 watch one of these flocks as it sweeps along the shores. I 

 have many times engaged in it, both with the desire of shoot- 

 ing some of them, and of studying their manners, which are 

 very graceful. You may suppose us to be jammed into the 

 crack of a rock, with our hats off*, and we peeping cunningly 

 at the advanced guard of the squadron which is rounding the 

 point at no great distance. There they glide along, and now, 

 coming into shallow water, they poke their heads into it, 

 raise them, and seem to look around, lest some masked bat- 

 tery should open upon them unawares. Now one has plunged 

 with a jerk, another, one here, one there, at length the whole 



