378 



NATATORES. 



ANATIDJ2. 



ANATIDJE. 



THE SMEW 



Mergm albellus, Smew Merganser ; PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. ii. p. 216. 



The Smeiv, MONTAGU, Ornith. Diet. 



BEWICK, Brit. Birds, vol. ii.p. 276, male. 



Lough Diver, 278, female. 



White-headed Goosander, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 129. 



Smew, or White Nun, SELBY, Brit. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 385. 



The Smew, JENYNS, Brit. Vert. p. 250. 



GOULD, Birds of Europe, pt. i. 



Harle /'iette, TEMM. Man. d'Ornith. vol. ii. p. 887. 



MERGUS. Generic characters. Bill about as long, or longer than the head, 

 straight, slender, rather pointed, the base large, forming an elongated and almost 

 a cylindrical cone ; point of the upper mandible curved, and, with the horny nail, 

 forming a hook ; edges of both mandibles furnished with saw-like teeth, the 

 points directed backwards. Nostrils lateral, about the middle of the beak, longi- 

 tudinally elliptic. Legs short, placed rather backward ; three toes in front 

 webbed, hind toe with a pendant lobe or membrane. Wings moderate, the first 

 and second quill-feathers nearly equal in length. 



