262 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



By some old writers this bird is called the 

 Nun, presumably from its black and white head- 

 dress. The orimn of the name Smew is uncertain. 

 In Norfolk and Suffolk the Wigeon is known to 

 the coast gunners as Smee. 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. Mergus serrator, Lin- 

 naeus. PI. 29, iigs. 10, 11, lla. Length, 22 in.; bill, 

 2'25 in. ; wing, 10 in. ; tarsus, 1-5 in. 



Resident in Scotland and Ireland, where it breeds 

 on the small islands in the lochs ; a winter visitant 

 to England. Mr. J. H. Gurney informs me that he 

 once saw an adult male of this species in summer 

 near Lowestoft. Some years ago, when shooting 

 much in Norfolk, I used to see these birds, as well 

 as Goosanders, in autumn and winter in Breydon 

 Harbour, but seldom fired at them (unless a 

 specimen was wanted for some friend's collection), 

 for, on account of their rank fishy flavour, they are 

 quite uneatable. Their swimming and diving power 

 seemed far superior to that of all other wildfowl 

 except the Colymbidw and the Grebes. An unusual 

 case of a female Merganser assuming the plumage 

 of the male is reported on the authority of Mr. 

 Dresser {Zool, 1893, p. 458). Weight, 2 lbs. 12 oz. 



GOOSANDER. Mergus merganser, Linnt^us. PI. 29, fig. 9. 



Length, 28 in. ; bill, 2-45 in. ; wing, 11*25 in. ; tarsus, 



1-9 in. 

 A winter visitant to England and Ireland, fre- 

 quenting both fresh and salt water. Of more 



