THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 527 



another in size and plumage, both being inferior to the first 

 in brilliancy of colouring. Their food consists of fish, 

 especially sand-eels, and, when they find their way into fresh- 

 water lakes and rivers, of eels and trout, which they 

 capture by diving, and retain with ease by the help of 

 their strong bills notched throughout like a saw. 



In birds of the first year the tuft of feathers on the 

 head is barely perceptible, and there is but a slight tinge of 

 red on the lower part of the neck. Most of the Merg- 

 ansers which resort to our shores during winter visit ns 

 from high latitudes ; but a few remain to breed in the 

 Scotch and Irish lakes, making their nests of dry herbage 

 and moss mixed with down from their own breasts. 



The name Merganser, that is, '' Diving Goose," has 

 reference to the size of the bird and its habit of diving for 

 its food. Its flight is strong and rapid, but differs some- 

 what from that of the Ducks, the neck being not stretched 

 out to its full length, but slightly folded back. At the 

 season of incubation the male deserts the female, and leaves 

 her to brin^ ofi" her brood without assistance. 



THE GOOSANDER. 



MERGUS MERGANSER. 



Head and crest greenish black ; back black ; speculum (not barred with black), 

 under parts, wing-coverts, outer scapulars, and some of the quills, buff; 

 bill red, the ridge and nail black ; feet vermilion. Length twenty-four to 

 twenty-eight inches. Female and yowtig'— Head and crest reddish brown ; 

 breast and flanks pale buff; upper plumage dark ash ; bill and feet dull red. 

 Egg dull white. 



The Goosander is a regular winter visitor to the shores of 

 Great Britain and Ireland, frequenting bays and estuaries, 

 but preferring fresh- water rivers and lakes, where it makes 

 great havoc among trout and other fish. It is far more 

 abundant in the north than in the south, and, according to 



