( 340 ) 



body ash-gray ; speculum white. Length of male twenty-seven 

 inches, wing ten and a half. Female about three inches smaller. 

 Young like the female. 



This species is better known to our gunners by the name of 

 •'Shell-Drake." In its migratory course it visits the whole extent 

 of the Atlantic coast, and is met with in the neighborhood of the 

 interior lakes. With us, it arrives late in the fall, and continues 

 its vocation of fishing, until compelled to leave with others of its 

 tribe, for a milder climate, in search of food. On its first appear- 

 ance, it is seen in large flocks, but soon disperse in small parties 

 of from five to twelve, frequently associating with the Scaup Duck. 



It is easily decoyed, and when wounded, dives so dexterously 

 that it is next to impossible to secure it. When badly wounded, 

 it dives to the bottom and clings to the grass — in this situation I 

 have often found it in the shallow bays. The male does not appear 

 in perfect plumage until the third year. The difference in plu- 

 mage of the adult male, from the young male and female, is so 

 strongly marked, that our gunners consider it a distinct species, 

 calling the former " Weaser," or large "Swamp-Shell-Drake. The 

 young male can always be distinguished from the female, which it 

 resembles in plumage, by a bony enlargement in the throat. The 

 crest of the young is much greater than that of the adult — that of 

 the male when in full plumage almost entirely disappears. 



In the Spring, it again assembles in large flocks, preparatory to 

 leaving for its summer residence. At this season it. generally flies 

 along the " bottom-lands " at a short distance from the shore. It is 

 readily killed from a "gunning-hole" cut in the bank for that purpose. 



The Goosander is very tenacious of life. When fairly shot 

 down, if the lead has missed the vitals, the next moment it is off. 

 In the Spring of 1840, at the close of a day's fine sport, when pre- 

 paring to collect my decoys, a single young male Goosander ap- 

 peared in the midst of them, presenting a fine mark. I brought 

 him down, and suffered him to drift about until I had collected my 

 decoys. I then took him up about a hundred yards from where he 

 fell, supposing him to be dead. I threw him into my boat, and 

 made sail for the shore. After having performed about half of my 

 passage, (two miles,) to my surprise he left the boat, flying off as 



