460 GOOSANDER. 



Germany, and — formerly — ^in Poland. In winter it is found in small 

 numbers along the coasts of the Continent, and more frequently 

 on the inland waters as long as they remain unfrozen ; while its migra- 

 tions extend to the south of Spain, as well as to North-western Africa : 

 it is, however, uncommon in the Mediterranean, though tolerably 

 plentiful in the Black Sea. Eastward, we trace it across Siberia to 

 Japan and China, its breeding-range reaching as far south as the 

 elevated lakes of Central Asia, inclusive of the northern side of the 

 Himalayas ; and in the cold season the bird is found down to about 

 22° N. lat. North America is inhabited by a closely-allied sub- 

 species, the adult males of which show a distinct black band about 

 half-way across the alar speculum. 



Incubation commences toward the end of April in Denmark, but 

 is somewhat later in Scandinavia, where the Goosander avails itself 

 to a great extent of the nesting-boxes set up by the natives for various 

 species of Ducks ; while a hole in the trunk or a recess beneath the 

 gnarled roots of a tree, and sometimes a sheltered ledge of rock, are 

 the localities selected in Scotland. The eggs, 8-13 in number, are 

 of a creamy-white, very different from the greenish-drab of those of 

 the Red-breasted Merganser: average measurements 27 by i*8 in. 

 Mr. Booth remarked that until the young arrive at the age of a 

 month or five weeks, the female usually keeps them in the shallows, 

 where there is less danger of their falling victims to their great 

 enemy, the pike. He also noticed that although the young birds 

 had no pinion-feathers, they appeared, on rising after a dive, to flap 

 along the surface for a yard or two, striking the water with their 

 feet. The note is a low plaintive whistle, not unlike the cry of 

 some young Hawks. The food consists almost entirely of fish. 



The adult male has the greater part of the bill blood-red ; irides 

 red ; head and upper neck glossy bottle-green ; lower neck and the 

 entire under parts white, tinged with salmon-pink ; upper back and 

 scapulars black ; wing-coverts chiefly white ; primaries and some of 

 the secondaries ash-brown ; lower back and tail ash-grey ; legs and 

 toes orange-red. Length 26 in. ; wing 11 in. The female has the 

 head — with its small crest — and the upper neck reddish-brown ; chin 

 dull white ; upper parts chiefly ash-grey, with dark brown inner 

 secondaries and quills, and a white alar speculum ; under parts 

 bufifish-white, mottled with ash-grey on the sides ; bill, legs and feet 

 duller than in the male. Length 24 in. ; wing 10 in. The young 

 at first resemble the female, but a rudimentary dark collar soon 

 makes its appearance in the drakes, which do not attain their full 

 plumage until the second year. 



