ii6 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Mergansers The Goosander Redbreasted Merganser Hooded 

 Merganser and Smew. 



OF the genus Mergus, or Merganser, provincially 

 known as " Saw-bill/' there are two well-known spe- 

 cies, the larger, Goosander, and the smaller, Red- 

 breasted Merganser ; while the still smaller Smew 

 (Mergus albellus), is an occasional visitor to Ireland 

 in winter. The Hooded Merganser (M. cucul- 

 latus], a rare straggler from the American continent, 

 has so very seldom been met with in the British 

 Islands as to make its occurrence here an event of 

 considerable interest to naturalists. To its appear- 

 ance in Ireland I shall presently allude. 



THE GOOSANDER (Mergus merganser] is the largest 

 and handsomest of its genus. It is a fine bold- 

 looking bird, and, when first killed, exhibits an 

 exquisite tinge of cream colour on the breast. This 

 delicate tint, however, is hard to preserve, and after 

 some time fades to a dirty yellowish white. It then 

 gives but a poor idea of the beauty of a recently 

 killed specimen. An adult male Goosander is not 

 often to be met with, and is always noticeable from 

 its striking appearance. These birds are adepts at 

 diving, although in this respect one Merganser 

 is as good as another. Mergansers have longer 

 wings and lighter bodies for their size than the 



