BRITISH BIRDS. [57 



two blackish crescentic lines on each side of breast ; nail 

 whitish, rest of bill and feet bluish-slate ; iris ash-white. 

 Length 17-00. Female : head and nape rufous-brown ; 

 mantle slate ; other plumage duller than in male. 

 A winter visitor in small numbers. 



GENUS CXXXI. LOPHODYTES, Reichenbach (1852). 



242. Lophodytes eueullatus (Linn.). HOODED 

 MERGANSER. 



Hab. North America. Partially migratory in winter. 



Five examples in all have been obtained in Ireland and 

 one in North Wales, while others are said to have been 

 obtained in England and Scotland. 



GENUS CXXXII. MERGANSER, Brisson (1760). 

 Much as in Mergus, excepting that bill is longer than 

 head. 



243. Merganser merganser (Linn.). GOOSANDER. 



Hab. Northern Palaearctic region. 



Male : head, throat and upper neck black, glossed with 

 green ; lower neck white ; wing-coverts and outer second- 

 aries white ; rest of wing, scapulars and mantle black ; 

 rump and tail dark slate ; under parts white, tinged with 

 salmon-colour ; bill deep red, nail black ; iris reddish- 

 brown ; feet vermilion. Length 26*00. Female : chin 

 whitish ; head and upper neck reddish-brown ; upper 

 parts slate-grey, with darker shaft-streaks ; greater coverts 

 noticeably tipped with white, and outer secondaries also 

 partly white; under parts whitish.. Length 23*50. 



A not uncommon winter visitor ; also breeds in various 

 parts of the Highlands, laying its eggs in a hollow tree 

 upon a quantity of down. Eggs: 8 to 12; pale buff; 

 270 by 1*85. 



