488 



AN SERES. 



ANATIDiE. 



ANATID.E. 



MerctUS merganser, Linnfeus*. 



THE GOOSANDER. 



Me rg us Me rganser. 



Mergus, LinncEusf. — Bill about as long, or longer than the head, straight, 

 slender, rather pointed, the base large, forming an elongated and almost a 

 cylindrical cone ; point of the upper mandible curved, and, with the horny nail, 

 forming a hook ; edges of both mandibles furnished with saw-like teeth, the 

 points directed backwards. Nostrils lateral, about the middle of the beak, 

 longitudinally elliptic. Legs short, placed rather backward ; three toes in front 

 webbed, hind toe with a pendant lobe or membrane. Wings moderate, the first 

 and second quill-feathers nearly equal in length. 



The Goosander, the largest of the British Mergansers, 

 a male and female of which are figured above, is mainly to 

 be considered as a winter visitor to our islands, although a 

 small number remain to breed annually among the lochs in 

 some northern localities to be hereafter pointed out. Birds 



* Mergus Merganser, Linnwus 

 + loc. cit. 



Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 208 (1766). 



