170 cassell's book of birds. 



of the reeds, rushes, and bushes, that abound in their favourite resorts ; occasionally it is still 

 further concealed by a covering of similar materials. The nests found by Tristram in Algeria contained 

 — the one three and the other eight eggs. "These," he says, "are very large in proportion to the size 

 of the bird, of a regular elliptical shape, very rough shelled, and, unlike those of other Ducks, of a 

 dingy white." We have no information respecting the rearing of the young. 



The MERGANSERS, or GOOSANDERS (Mergi), are distinguishable by their very elongate 

 body, moderately long, thin neck, and large head, which is generally ornamented by a tuft or hood ; 

 their bill is long, straight, or slightly arched, slender, and almost cylindrical ; its callous margins are 

 sharp and strongly denticulated, and its tip terminated by a strong hook ; the legs are short, and 

 placed very far backwards, the feet large, and toes long ; the hind toe is furnished with a supplementary 

 web, resembling that of some of the Divers. The wings are of moderate length, and very acutely 

 pointed, the first and second quills being the longest j the tail, which consists of sixteen or eighteen 

 feathers, is short, broad, and rounded ; the plumage is short, thick, and prettily coloured, but the 

 colours vary at different ages, and also in the sexes as well as at different seasons of the year. These 

 remarkable birds walk badly, with a vacillating waddling gait, keeping their bodies erect, but they are 

 excellent swimmers, and dive with wonderful facility. Their flight is rapid, light, and somewhat 

 resembles that of the Duck. When Mergansers fly in company, as they frequently do, they range 

 themselves in a certain regular order • they rise readily, but with a loud noise, splashing with their 

 feet upon the water, and when they alight again in that element, fly obliquely downwards, and either 

 at once dive or stop themselves by means of their outstretched tail. All the members of this family 

 belong to the northern regions of our globe, but are met with pretty equally both in the eastern and 

 western hemispheres. When driven south by the intensity of the cold, their migrations sometimes 

 extend to the south of Europe, and to corresponding latitudes in Central Asia and America. The 

 Goosanders subsist chiefly upon fishes, crustaceans, worms, and insects ; the fishes they obtain by 

 diving, and chasing them through the water, exactly after the manner of the true Divers. These birds 

 are strictly monogamous, and construct their nests sometimes upon the ground, in clumps of herbage, 

 among reeds, in hollow trunks, or amongst the branches of trees, and occasionally in the deserted 

 homes of other birds. The nest is inartistically formed of dried stalks, leaves, moss, and rushes, 

 warmly lined with down. The brood consists of from seven to fourteen unspotted grey or greenish 

 white eggs. The female alone broods, sitting for a period of from twenty-two to twenty-four days, the 

 male always taking up a position in the neighbourhood of his mate. At first he seems to take some 

 interest in his young brood, but soon forsakes them, and joining company with others of his own 

 sex, retires from his family cares in order to undergo his autumnal moult. The flesh of the Goosanders 

 is disagreeable, and of an oily taste, but they are often killed for the sake of their down and feathers. 

 The eggs are in much request. 



THE WHITE-HEADED GOOSANDER. 



The White-headed Goosander (Mergellus albellus) has been made the representative of a 

 distinct sub-family, probably on account of the shortness and breadth of its bill, and the peculiarities 

 in its mode of life. This bird bears a great resemblance to some of the Divers, and therefore must 

 be placed near them. 



The summer dress of the male is pure white, a spot between the eyes, the beak, and a band 

 across the nape are blackish green ; the back and a portion of the wings, two small stripes upon the 

 shoulder, and a long stripe above the wing are black ; the sides are blueish grey, cross-waved with 

 black ; the primary quills blackish brown, and the tail-feathers grey ; the eye is blueish grey, the beak 



