MERGANSER MERGANSER ORIENTALIS 321 



Nidification. — The Eastern Goosander breeds I'reely throughout 

 the Himalayas in all suitable localities between 12,000 and 15,000 

 feet, perhaps even higher, but there is very little on record about it. 



It certainly breeds in Ladakh in the lake districts and almost 

 equally certainly in parts of Kashmir, Gilgit, etc., although so far 

 there is nothing recorded in reference to these localities. 



In Tibet it breeds in great numbers, and from Ehamtso, Gyantse 

 and other places 1 have had breeding birds and eggs sent me. As 

 far as I can ascertain in Tibet it generally places its nest in some 

 natural hollow low down in a bank or cliff, or even in a burrow on 

 the level, probably because of the want of trees big enough to contain 

 hollows suitable for its purpose. About Gyantse it lays its eggs 

 in hollows in the willows, which are here fairly plentiful and grow 

 to some size, but even here I have had a nest reported to me as 

 having been found in a hollow under a large boulder, unfortunately 

 not until the young had been hatched. 



The nest is made of grass alone, with a dense lining of down 

 which is increased in bulk as the eggs are laid. 



The eggs are replicas of those of the Common Goosander, but 

 may average smaller, though at present my series is too small to 

 enable me to say so. 



Hartert gives the average of 125 eggs of the western form as 

 68'8 X •47'15 mm. (= 269 X 185 inches), whereas my eggs average 

 only 64-5 X 432 mm. (= 2-54 X 170 inches). 



In colour, shape and texture they cannot in any way be dis- 

 criminated. 



The birds appear to breed from the end of May to the end of July, 

 most eggs being laid in June. 



General Habits. — The Eastern Goosander is a permanent resident 

 in India, but during the summer is confined to the Himalayas at 

 various heights above 10,000 feet, whence it descends in the end of 

 October and early November to the foot-hills and into the plains. 

 The limits of its local migrations have been already noted. 



In most countries the Goosander is nearly as much a salt-water 

 as a fresh-water frequenter, but here, in India, it seems to be essen- 

 tially a fresh-water species, and the only record of its having been 

 shot on the sea, within our limits that I can find, is that of Mr. 



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