222 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



in British waters as a winter visitor, but breeds 

 sparingly within our limits, it has some claim to be 

 included in the present volume, although it cannot 

 be regarded as a very striking feature in coast bird 

 life. It is also far less exclusively marine than the 

 preceding species. The Goosander is an even more 

 handsome bird than the Red-breasted Merganser, 

 and is the largest species in the present sub-family. 

 The colours of the male are arranged in a most 

 effective and strongly-contrasted way. The head 

 and neck are dark metallic-green, the breast is a 

 delicate and beautiful pink, the upper parts and the 

 wings are black and white, the under parts below 

 the breast white. The female has the head reddish- 

 brown, the upper parts grayish-brown or pale chest- 

 nut, the lower buffish -white. In its habits and in 

 the haunts it frequents, the Goosander very closely 

 resembles its smaller ally. When, in winter, fre- 

 quenting the coast it delights in the bays and fjords, 

 but occasionally wanders to less precipitous shores, 

 notably estuaries and the mouths of tidal rivers. 

 It is a remarkably agile bird in the water, swim- 

 ming and diving with equal ease, but on the land 

 its movements are ungainly, the bird wriggling 

 along with its breast almost touching the ground, 

 in a very Diver-like manner. In diving, it often 

 descends to a great depth. Although not often 

 seen much on shore, it possesses the Cormorant- 

 like habit of basking on some rock jutting from the 

 water, sitting with its body upright and wings half 



