/ GOOSANDER. 



Grand harle, Temm. Goosander, male. Dun 

 Diver, female, of British authors. This beautiful 

 and typical species is one of those which, like the 

 hen-harrier and ringtail, the golden and ring-tailed 

 eagles, occasioned some controversy among the more 

 early modern British ornithologists. The plumage 

 of the sexes for the first year is nearly similar, but 

 the mabs and females were long by many consi- 

 dered distinct species, and were known under the 

 names of Goosander and Dun Diver, Mergus mer- 

 ganser and castor. The fact of their identity has, 

 however, been long since proved, and the difference 

 in the colouring of the sexes agrees with that inci- 

 dent to the other known species. On the main land 

 of Great Britain this bird is principally almost en- 

 tirely a winter visitant ; we are aware of no instance 

 of its incubation being discovered, and in our own 

 rambles we have only once observed it during sum- 

 mer, but that in a locality where some northern sea 

 isle may have been its haunt. In winter it frequents 

 the inland lakes when not frozen, and ascends rivers, 

 apparently becoming less numerous towards the 

 south. In rivers, at the season mentioned, we have 

 principally observed it in small parties of from four 

 to eight or nine, a single full-dressed male frequently 

 accompanying them, or at least the birds in the fe- 

 male plumage being always much more numerous. 

 The whole party frequently will dive simultaneously, 

 and we have, as in tho case of the Golden-eye, occa- 

 sionally got within shot by taking advantage of their 

 disappearance for a run, getting concealed by the time 



