MEEGAK8ER CASTOIt. 2G1> 



(44) MERGANSER CASTOR. 

 THE GOOSANDER. 



Mergfus merganser, Hume, Cat. no. 972 ; Scidhj, >Str. Fcath. viii, p. 364 ; 



Hume 4" -'Vrt/'. Game-B. iii, p. 299 ; Hume Sf Crippa, ibid, xi, p. 347 ; 



Akl-en, Jour. B. X. H. S. ii, p. 56. 

 MergUS castor, Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 817; Hume, Str. Feath. i, p. 423; 



Parl-er, ibid, ii, p. 336 ; Bcdl. ibid. p. 439 ; Hume, ibid. A-ii, p. 149 ; Ball, 



ibid. p. 233. 

 Merganser castor, Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 472; Bl an ford, Fauna 



B. I. iv, p. 469 ; Oates, Game-B. ii, p. 123 ; Inrjlis, Jour. B. K H. S. 



xiv, p. 393. 

 Merganser merganser, Gates-, Game-B. ii, p. 390. 

 Merganser comatus, Salvadori, Cat. B. J/, xxvii, p. 475. 



Description. Adult male. — Whole head, upper neck, and crest hlack, glossed 

 with metallic green, showing purple iu sunlight, the centre of chin and throat 

 unglossed ; lower neck and underparts wliite ; upper back glossy black ; lo\^"er 

 back, rump, and upper tail-coverts grey, more or less vermiculated with white on 

 the outer feathers, and the tail-coverts also Avith dark shafts and sometimes with 

 paler edges ; tail sih'ery brown, pale and more grey on the lower surface ; 

 primaries and outer secondaries very dark brown ; inner secondaries white, with 

 a narrow edging of black on. the outer webs ; lai'ge secondary-coverts white 

 with black bases ; primary-coverts and edge of wing black ; remaining coverts 

 white ; outer scapulars white, with narrow black margins ; the inner all black ; 

 one or two next the white ones tipped or with narrow, irregular A\hite edgings. 



" The bill is, according to age, a brighter or duller, lighter or deeper red, 

 almost vermilion in some, cinnabar or deep blood-red in others. The nail and 

 broader or narrower stripe along the culmen, from the nail to the forehead, 

 brownish-black, dusky, or black. In some this stripe is only indicated. There 

 is often more or less of dusky on the lower mandible, Avhich, in some, is entirely 

 of this colour, but in others almost orange. 



" The irides, brown in the young, grow redder with age, and in old males 

 become a deep red, \A"ith scarcely a tinge of brown. 



" The legs and feet, including the webs, are bright vermilion in the old of 

 both sexes, perhaps rather duller in the females, and reddish-orange in younger 

 birds. The cla^s greyish or horny white, brownish or reddish towards their 

 bases." {Hume.) 



" Length about 25 inches, tail 4-25, wing 9*5, tarsus 2-0, bill from gape 

 2-7.-"' (Blanford.) 



"AVing 10-95 to 11*8 inches, tail from vent 4-80 to 5-9, cuhnen 1-90 to 2-10, 

 tarsus 1-68 to 1-80."' (Salvadori.) 



*' AVing 10-95 to 12-1 inches, tarsus 1-86 to 2*03, bill from gape 2-25 to 2-6. 

 Weight 2 lbs. 12 ozs. to 3 lbs. 5 ozs." (Hume.) 



