MERGELLUS. 205 



Mergus merganser. The Goosander. 



243. Mergus merganser {Linn), Gould, B. Eur. pi. 384 ; 



Hume and Marsh., Game Birds iii. p. 299 ; Murray, Avif. Brit. hid. ii. 

 p. 706, No. 1407. Mergus castor, Jerd,, B. Ind, iii. Tp. 817; S/r. F. i. 

 p. 422 ; ii. pp, 336, 439; iv. pp. 202, 496; V. p. 323 ; vii. p. 149; Murray, 

 Vert, Zool., Sind, p. 309. — The Goosander or Merganser. 



Head with a short thick crest, and upper part of the neck glossy blackish 

 green ; lower neck white ; breast, abdomen and under tail coverts white, 

 tinged with orange buff ; upper back and scapulars black ; lower back and 

 upper tail coverts ashy ; tail ashy grey ; wing coverts and outermost scapu- 

 lars rich orange buff, the latter edged with black. The female and young 

 male have the head and neck reddish brown, the upper plumage ashy, the 

 throat white, and a white speculum on the wing. Bill blood red ; black on 

 the culmen ; irides and feet red. 



Length. — 25 to 28 inches; wing 10*9 to 12 ; tail 4'8 to 5*9; tarsus r8 to 

 2*03 ; bill from gape 27 to 2"9. Females average 22-9 to 25 inches in length. 



Hab, — This species, although not yet reported from Sind, will no doubt be 

 found to occur. It is said to occur in the Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, and 

 Bengal, and also in Ajmere, and to breed in the higher valleys of the Hima- 

 layas, and in Beloochistan and Persia. A woodcut of the species is given to 

 aid identification. 



Mergellus .— 'S'^/'^i'. 



Bill shorter and wider than in Mergus ; tip broad and much less hooked ; 

 mandible toothed. 



244. MergellUS albellus {Linn.), Bodd. P. E. 449; Gould, B. 

 Eur. pi. 387; Jerd., B. Ind. iii p. 8l8; Str. F. i. p. 265; iv. pp. 31, 202; 

 Murray, Hdbk., Zool., ^c, Sind, p. 24O; id.. Vert. Zool., Sind, p. 310 

 Hume, Game Birds Ind. iii. p. 263 ; id., Avif. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 705, No. I408. 

 — The Smew. 



