BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 321 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 



Mergus serrator {Linneeus) 



The Merganser is a winter visitant to England, and nests 

 in both Scotland and Ireland, both on lakes and tarns. On 

 the west coast of Ireland it breeds abundantly, and is very 

 common all over that country. Its mode of living is very much 

 like that of the Goosander, but is not so often found inland 

 and is far more fond of the sea. The male apparently helps 

 the female in attending on the young and in procuring the 

 food on which they live. 



This species is very like the Goosander but smaller ; the 

 male may always be recognised by his pale chestnut breast, 

 streaked with black ; the wing patch is white, barred with 

 black, and on the breast at the point of the wing there is 

 a conspicuous tuft of white feathers, with black edgings ; 

 mantle, portion of shoulders, inner scapulars, basal half of 

 greater wing-coverts, secondaries and primaries rich black. 

 The female is smaller than the male, and is reddish brown 

 on the head and neck ; a black bar runs across the alar 

 speculum. In other respects it closely resembles the female 

 Goosander. Length about 22 in. ; wing 9*5 in. 



GOOSANDER 



Mergus merganser [LinncBus) 



This bird is a winter visitor to the British Isles. Unlike 

 other Ducks, the bill is moderately long and narrow, and 

 both mandibles have a very rough toothed surface enabling 

 them easily to secure and hold their prey, which consists 

 entirely of fish. They are all expert divers. On the east 

 coast of England a fair number of this species may be found 

 in the winter months, frequenting estuaries and freshwater 

 lakes, but in the south and west it is of rare occurrence. 



