58 Allen's naturalist's library. 



THE TRUE MERGANSERS. GENUS MERGANSER. 



Merganser^ Briss. Orn. vi. p. 230 (1760). 

 Type, M. merganser (Linn.). 



Like the preceding genus, the Mergansers have the cuhnen, 

 or ridge of the bill, longer than the tarsus, and, according to 

 Count Salvador]", the serrations on both mandibles are very 

 conspicuous and tooth-like, and are strongly directed back- 

 wards at the tips. 



The range of the genus is very peculiar, for while it is princi- 

 pally a northern form, isolated species occur in the southern 

 hemisphere, such as M. brasilianus^ an inhabitant of South- 

 eastern Brazil, and M. australis, confined to the Auckland 

 Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. 



I. THE GOOSANDER. MERGANSER MERGANSER. 



Mergus merganser^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 208 (1766) ; Dresser, 

 B. Eun vi. p. 685, pi. 452 (1875); B. O. U. List Br. B. 

 p. 136 (1883) ; Seeb. Br. B. iii. p. 625 (1885); Saunders, 

 ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 488 (1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 459 

 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiii. (1893). 



Merganser castor^ Macg. Br. B. v. p. 207 (1852); Salvad. Cat. 

 B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 472 (1895). 



Adult Male. — General colour above black and white, the sca- 

 pulars and mantle being black, extending a little on to the hind- 

 neck ; back dark slaty-grey, as also the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts ; the sides of the rump ashy-whitish, with fine dusky 

 frecklings ; wing-coverts pure white, the greater series with 

 concealed black bases ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 

 quills black, the inner primaries with a little whitish near the 

 end of the inner web, like the primary-coverts; secondaries 

 white, the inner ones bordered with black, the innermost 

 somewhat sickle-shaped, and black like the scapulars ; tail 

 slaty-grey ; head and throat black, with a green gloss, not so 

 distinct on the sides of the face and throat ; neck all round 

 and the under surface of the body from the lower throat 

 downwards white, with a delicate tinge of pale salmon-colour, 

 more distinct in the breeding-season ; bill deep vermilion, 

 black along the culmen and on the nail ; feet vermilion 3 iris 



