GRNUS 96. MERGUS. MERGANSER. 

 SPECIES 1. M. MERGANSER. 



GOOSANDER. 

 [Plate LXVIIL Fig. 1, Male.] 



UHarle, BRISS. vi, p. 9.31. I. pi. 22. BUFF, vin, p. 267. pi 23. 

 JJrct. Zool. JVo. 465. LATH. 8yn. in, ^.418. PE ALE'S Mu- 

 seum, JVfo. 2932.* 



THIS large and handsomely marked bird belongs to a genus 

 different from that of the Duck, on account of the particular 

 form and serratures of its bill. The genus is characterised as 

 follows: "Bill toothed, slender, cylindrical, hooked at the 

 point; nostrils small, oval, placed in the middle of the bill;/ee/ 

 four toed, the outer toe longest." Naturalists have denominat- 

 ed it Merganser. In this country the birds composing this ge- 

 nus are generally known by the name of Fishermen, or Fisher 

 ducks. The whole number of known species amount to only 

 nine or ten, dispersed through various quarters of the world; 

 of these, four species, of which the present is the largest, are 

 known to inhabit the United States. 



From the common habit of these birds in feeding almost en- 

 tirely on fin and shell fish, their flesh is held in little estima- 

 tion, being often lean and rancid, both smelling and tasting 

 strongly of fish; but such are the various peculiarites of tastes, 

 that persons are not wanting who pretend to consider them ca- 

 pital meat. 



The Goosander, called by some the Water Pheasant, and by 



* Mergus Merganser, GMEL. Syst. i, p. 544, JNo. 2. LATH. bid. Orn. p. 828, 

 .Vo. 1. Le Harje, BUFF. Pi. Enl 951, male. Grand Hark, TF.T. Man. iVOrn. 

 p. 881. 



VOL. III. M m 



