248 AVES NATATORES. [MERGUS- 



Britain; such individuals generally young birds. Breeds in the Arctic 

 Regions. Nest said to be placed amongst grass, near the edge of the 

 sea. Eggs, according to Temminck, five in number ; according to others, 

 from ten to fourteen. Food, marine insects, and bivalve mollusca. Obs. 

 The Anas hy emails of Linnaeus is the male of this species in summer 

 plumage. 



GEN. 99. MERGUS, Linn. 



260. M. Merganser, Linn. (Goosander.) Breast, 

 and speculum on the wing, white; the latter without 

 transverse bars : bill and legs red : crest (in the adult 

 male) short and bushy. 



M. Merganser, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. u. p. 881. Goosander, 

 Mont. Orn. Diet. $ Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. n. p. 375. pi. 57. 

 Goosander and Dun-Diver, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. n. pp. 250, & 

 253. (Trachea,) Linn. Trans, vol. xv. pi. 15. f. h. 



DIMENS. Entire length twenty-four inches : length of the bill (from 

 the forehead) two inches four lines, (from the gape) three inches one 

 line; of the tarsus two inches one line; from the carpus to the end of the 

 wing ten inches six lines. (Young male.) The adult sometimes attains a 

 length of twenty-nine inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Head and upper part of the neck glossy 

 greenish black ; the feathers on the crown and occiput elongated, forming 

 a short crest : lower part of the neck, breast, belly, and abdomen, cream- 

 yellow, fading after death to pure white : upper part of the back, inner 

 scapulars, humeral wing-coverts, bastard winglet, basal halves of the 

 greater coverts, and fourteen outer quills, black; outer scapulars, all 

 the lesser coverts except the humeral ones, six of the secondary quills, 

 and tips of the greater coverts immediately above them, white: lower 

 back, rump, and tail, deep ash-gray : bill vermilion red ; the ridge and 

 nail black : irides red : legs vermilion. (Adult female.) Crown, and occi- 

 pital crest (the latter longer and more slender than in the male), ferrugi- 

 nous brown ; rest of the head, and upper part of the neck, bright ferrugi- 

 nous ; chin and throat pure white ; lower part of the neck before, sides 

 of the breast, flanks, and thighs, white and ash-colour mixed ; belly and 

 abdomen yellowish white : back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and tail, deep 

 ash-colour : primaries dusky ; six of the secondaries, and tips of the im- 

 pending coverts, white, forming a large speculum : bill dull red ; the 

 ridge and nail blackish : irides brown : legs yellowish red. The young 

 males of the year resemble the adult female. At the end of the first 

 year, the white on the throat begins to be spotted with black ; the crown 

 becomes dusky, and the ferruginous brown on the neck is edged at 

 bottom with black ; the white also appears on the wing-coverts. (Egg.) 

 Pale olive white, tinged with buff: long. diam. two inches six lines; trans, 

 diam. one inch eight lines. 



Found in the Orkneys, and some other of the Scotch Islands, through- 

 out the year. In England, only a winter visitant, and seldom seen at all 

 in the more southern districts except in severe seasons. Frequents lakes, 

 large rivers, and estuaries. Nest said to be placed amongst loose stones 

 near the edge of the water, occasionally in bushes, or in hollow trees. 



