SMEW 157 



sembles the adult female plumage, but distinguished by the 

 slate-grey markings on the breast and flanks. 



Adult female nuptial Head and neck, reddish-brown ; 

 there is a distinct black bar across the wing. The plumage 

 bears a general resemblance to that of the female Goosander, 

 but the back and scapulars are brown in the Merganser, 

 rather than ash-grey. 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the respective 

 nuptial plumages. 



Immature, male and female. Resembles the female 

 plumage. 



BEAK. Red ; shaped like that of the Goosander. 



FEET. Deep orange-red. 



IRIDES. Ked. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH ... ... 24 in. Female smaller. 



WING 9-5 



BEAK 2'25 



TARSO-METATARSUS ... To ,, 



EGG ... ... 2-5 X 1'7 in. 



SMEW. Mergus albellus (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. v, pi. 

 37 ; Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vii, pis. 454, 455 ; 

 Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. vii, pi. 60 ; Booth, 

 * Rough Notes,' vol. iii, pi. 14. 



The Smew, the smallest of the Mergansers, annually 

 resorts to British waters, though nowhere along our coasts can 

 it be considered numerous. It is most frequently met with 

 off the east coast of England and Scotland. It probably 

 occurs annually in Ireland, yet it has not very often come 

 under the notice of ornithologists in that country. It 

 is partial to both fresh and salt water, and generally appears 

 during or after severe wintry weather ; after a gale it should 

 be looked for on large sheets of fresh water. The late Mr. 

 E. Williams informed me that he purchased immature 

 and female birds in the Dublin markets, which were 

 taken during rough weather, on inland waters. In the 

 spring this species returns to northern latitudes to breed. 



Few birds make a more handsome and effective show for 

 museum-purposes than a well set-up adult male Smew in 



