XVI GOOSANDER AND MERGANSER 151 



whereas the latter birds frequently unite in small flocks, ^particu- 

 larly when they take to the inland lochs, which they do at the 

 commencement of the spring. The golden-eye is frequently 

 very fat and heavy, but is of a rank, coarse flavour. 



The goosander ^ and merganser ^ fish constantly in the river : 

 they remain late in the spring and return early in the autumn. 

 Quick-sighted, they perceive an enemy at a great distance and 

 keep a watch on all his movements. As long as he remains in 

 full view and at a safe distance the birds do not move ; but the 

 moment the sportsman conceals himself, or approaches too near, 

 they rise and go out to sea. They are easily killed by sending 

 a person above them, and concealing oneself some way down 

 the course of the stream, as when put up, although they may 

 at first fly a short way up the water, they invariably turn 

 downwards and repair to the open sea, following the windings 

 of the river during their whole flight. If winged, they instantly 

 dive, and rise at a considerable distance, keeping only their heads 

 above the water, and making for the sea as fast as they can. 



They feed on small trout and eels, which they fish for at 

 the tails of the streams or in comparatively shallow water, unlike 

 the cormorant, who, feeding on good-sized fish, is always seen 

 diving in the large deep pools, where they are more likely to 

 find trout big enough to satisfy their voracious appetite. The 

 throat of the cormorant stretches ' to a very great extent, and 

 its mouth opens wide enough to swallow a good-sized sea- 

 trout. I saw a cormorant a few days ago engaged with a large 

 white trout which he had caught in a quiet pool, and which he 

 seemed to have some difficulty in swallowing. The bird was 

 swimming with the fish across his bill, and endeavouring to get 

 it in the right position, that is, with the head downwards. At 

 last, by a dexterous jerk, he contrived to toss the trout up, and, 

 catching it in his open mouth, managed to gulp it down, though 

 apparently the fish was very much larger in circumference than 

 the throat of the bird. The expanding power of a heron's 



* Mergus castor is very destructive to fish in rivers and fresh-water lalces, Macgillivray 

 mentions that eighteen trout were found in the gullet of one killed on the Tweed in 1838 

 (Gray, 403). 



* The merganser (Mergus serrator), often called the red-breasted merganser, to dis- 

 tinguish it from an American visitor, the hoodeid merganser (.V/. cucullatus). The nest 

 is generally placed on heath in unfrequented islands (Gray, 400). It breeds throughout 

 the Arctic regions, and is frequently met in winter in most parts of England (Seebohni, 

 Siberia in Europe, p. 188). 



