514 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
Smew, Mergus albellus. The small family of 
Mergansers differ slightly from the true Ducks, 
especially in the formation of the beak, which is 
much narrower towards the point; the upper man- 
dible is much hooked at the point or nail; the bill 
is also thickly serrated or toothed like a saw, which 
gives these birds a great facility in holding their 
slippery prey. 
The present species, the Smew, the smallest 
of the Mergansers, not being larger than a Wigeon, 
is only an occasional winter visitor to our county, 
as it seems to be generally to England, and of 
these occasional visitors the young males of the 
first year and the females are the most common; 
full plumaged old males may certainly be considered 
very rare. Mr. Haddon has one beautiful specimen, 
shot by himself on the river near Taunton. 
The Smew is not known to breed in any part of 
Britain; indeed very little seems to be known of its 
breeding habits anywhere. Meyer, however, says 
the nest is composed of dry grasses and lined with 
feathers from the bird’s own body, and that it is 
either placed on ‘bes ‘ground near water on some 
small island or in a hole in a tree. 
This bird is an expert diver, and in this manner 
obtains most of its food, which consists of fish, 
Crustacea, and small frogs, and but very rarely, 
according to Meyer, of vegetable matter. It seems 
to be rather a voracious feeder, for as many as five 
