204 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



195. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 



Mergus serrator. 



Although this species is very much more abundant 

 in our Islands, both as a resident in certain districts, 

 and a winter visitor to our shores, than the Goos- 

 ander, its visits to our inland waters seem to be less 

 frequent than those of that species, and my records 

 of its occurrence in our county are very few and far 

 between, though from the fact that the females and 

 immature birds of both species are frequently spoken 

 of as " Dundivers," it is in many instances difficult 

 to arrive at definite identification. For the benefit 

 of the unlearned I may here say that a female of the 

 present species seldom attains to more than 20 or 

 21 inches in extreme length, whilst the female 

 Goosander not infrequently reaches to 26 inches, 

 and the general colour of the latter bird is very 

 much lighter than that of the former. 



In addition to the mention of this species by 

 Mr. Edmonds, to which I have referred in the 

 previous article, I well remember seeing three Mer- 

 gansers busily engaged in fishing in a broad bend 

 of our river Nen just below Tichmarsh Mill, but I 

 regret to say that I have no record of the exact date 

 of this event, which must, however, to the best of my 

 recollection, have occurred in the winter of 1853-54. 

 I was accompanied by my brother, and when we first 

 noticed the birds we were perhaps 150 yards distant 

 from them. We made a detour to come in upon 

 them, I rather above, and my brother a little below, 

 the spot where we first perceived them ; the water 

 was low, and the bank on our side quite high enough 



