THE GOOSANDER. 403 



THE GOOSANDER. 



MERGUS MERGANSER. 

 Siolta bheag. 



As a winter visitant, this handsome species occurs in the western 

 counties in even greater numbers than the merganser. It is very 

 common in Renfrewshire, frequenting the river Cart and other 

 sluggish streams, and is at no time difficult to procure. I have 

 examined a number of beautiful male and female birds obtained 

 in that county, and in Argyllshire, in the winter of 1869-70. As 

 many as ten or twelve are sometimes seen together on streams 

 within a few miles of Glasgow. In some of our west coast lochs, 

 as well as those in one or two districts of Perthshire, it lingers till 

 the month of April, but then disappears. Dr Dewar found the 

 Goosander breeding in North Uist in 1858, and shot a female off 

 the nest. One of the eggs taken at that time is in my possession : 

 it is larger than a merganser's egg, cream-coloured, slightly darker 

 in shade, and easily recognised when placed in a group of eggs 

 belonging to the common species. In 1862, I had four or five of 

 these eggs from South Uist, but on these I cannot place implicit 

 reliance, as the bird was not obtained. The fact, however, of the 

 Goosander having bred in North Uist can scarcely be called in 

 question: there were at least two separate stations for it; one near 

 Lochmaddy, the other on the north-west side of the island, where 

 both the Goosander and Merganser are well known. I visited 

 both localities in 1867, and was informed by Mr John M'Donald 

 that he had taken notice of the two species since Dr Dewar's visit. 

 It may be here stated that Pennant, in his Tour in Scotland, 

 mentions having seen a Goosander in the hands of Dr Walker of 

 Moffat (afterwards Professor of Natural History in Edinburgh 

 University), which had been obtained during the summer in 

 the western islands. As additional testimony to the fact of the 

 Goosander remaining with us during the summer, I have much 

 pleasure in inserting here the following note from Mr Graham's 

 correspondence. Writing from lona, he says: "The Goosander 

 is very plentiful along our shores, I may say all the year round, for 

 though I have never found it actually breeding, it cannot be very 

 far off, as the young broods make their appearance at a very early 

 age, diving and fishing as actively as the old birds. Goosanders 



