( 340 ) 



body ash-gray ; speculum white. Length of male twenty-seven 

 inches, wing ten and a half. Female about three inches smaller. 

 Young like the female. 



This species is better known to our gunners by the name of 

 ■'Shell-Drake." In its migratory course it visits the whole extent 

 of the Atlantic coast, and is met witii in the neighborhood of the 

 interior lakes. With us, it arrives late in the fall, and continues 

 its vocation of fishing, until compelled to leave with others of its 

 tribe, for a milder climate, in searci) of food. On its first appear- 

 ance, it is seen in large flocks, but soon disperse in small parlies 

 of from five to twelve, frequently associating with the Scaup Duck. 



It is easily decoyed, and wlien wounded, dives so dexterously 

 that it is next to impossible to secure it. When badly wounded, 

 it dives to the bottom and clings to the grass — in this situation I 

 have often found it in the shallow bays. The male does not appear 

 in perfect plumage until the third year. Tiie difference in plu- 

 mage of the adult male, from the young male and female, is so 

 strongly marked, that our gunners consider it a distinct species, 

 calling the former " Weaser," or large "Swamp-Sliell-Drake. The 

 young male can always be distinguished from the female, wliich it 

 resembles in plumage, by a bony enlargement in tiie tiiroat. The 

 crest of the young is much greater tlian that of the adult — liiat of 

 the male when in full plumage almost entirely disappears. 



In tiie Spring, it again assembles in large flocks, preparatory to 

 leaving for its summer residence. At this season it generally flies 

 along tiie " bottom-lands " at a short distance from the sliore. It is 

 readily killed from a "gunning-hole" cut in the bank foi' thai purpose. 



The Goosander is very tenacious of life. Wlien fairly shot 

 down, if the lead lias missed the vitals, the next moment it is off. 

 In the Spring of 1840, at tlie close of a day's fine sport, when pre- 

 paring to collect my decoys, a single young male Goosander ap- 

 peared in the midst of liiem, presenting a fine mark. I brought 

 him down, and suffered iiim to drift about until I had collected my 

 decoys. I then took him up about a hundred yards from where ho 

 fell, supposing him to be dead. I tiuew him into my boat, and 

 made sail for the shore. After having performed about half of my 

 passage, (two miles,) to my surprise he left the boat, flying off as 



