196 MERGANSERINJE. MERGANSER. 



the feathers edged with white ; the breast and abdomen 

 white, the sides grey ; the upper parts brownish-grey, the 

 feathers edged with paler ; the white patch on the wing as 

 in the male, but not extending to the smaller wing-coverts, 

 which are grey, and thus having only one dark band. Young 

 similar to the female, but more brown above. 



Male, 24J, 30 , 9J, 2-J, H$, 2&, ft. female, 22J, 28J. 



The summer residence of this species is in the northern 

 parts of both continents, from the colder temperate regions 

 to the borders of the polar ice. In winter it advances south- 

 ward, and is common in Scotland, betaking itself chiefly to 

 streams and lakes, but also to estuaries and the open sea. 

 Many breed in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Islands. 

 The eggs, from five to ten, are oval, cream-coloured, or very 

 pale buff, two inches and a half in length, an inch and three- 

 fourths in breadth. The flesh is not in request, being tough 

 and oily. Small fishes of various kinds are the ordinary 

 food of this species. The trachea of the male has a single 

 oblong dilatation, besides the enormous tympanum, while 

 that of the last species has two. 



Red-breasted Merganser. Harle. Gool-Duck. 



Mergus senator, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 208. Mergus serrator, 

 Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 829. Mergus serrator, Temm. Man. 

 d'Ornith. ii. 884. Mergus serrator, Bay -necked Merganser, 

 MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 



269. MERGANSER CUCULLATUS. HOODED GOOSANDER. 

 Male with the bill nearly as long as the head, an inch and 

 three-fourths in length, three-twelfths in breadth behind the 

 unguis ; a large, longitudinal, compressed, semicircular black 

 crest, with an angular patch of white behind ; head, upper 

 neck, hind part of lower, and the greater part of the back, 

 black ; lower fore-neck and breast white ; two transverse 

 curved black lines on each side before the wing ; sides yel- 

 lowish-brown, finely undulated with black ; primary quills 

 and coverts brownish-black ; outer secondary quills and co- 

 verts greenish-black, white toward the end ; inner, white 

 with black margins. Female with the crest smaller and de- 

 curved ; the upper part of the head reddish-brown, cheeks 

 and upper neck greyish-brown ; throat greyish-white ; lower 

 part of neck grey ; back blackish-brown ; wings without 

 white on the inner secondaries ; lower parts greyish-white, 

 sides dusky brown. Young similar to the female, more 

 tinged with brown above, and faintly barred with grey be- 

 neath. 



