388 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



shorter and less abundant ; usually no black round eye but excep- 

 tionally an indication ; wing as adult, but more worn and abraded. 

 Moult as in male. 



First eclipse. Male. — Apparently as adult eclipse but distin- 

 guished by juvenile wing-coverts until they are shed. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 244-259 mm., tail 79- 

 88, tarsus 40-45, bill from point of frontal feathering 53-62 (12 

 measured). $ wing 217-230, bill 48-55. Primaries : 1st narrow, 

 pointed and rather more than half longest primary- covert, 2nd 

 longest, 3rd equal or 2-4 mm. shorter, 4th 11-15 shorter, 5th 24-31 

 shorter, 6th 40-45 shorter. Innermost secondaries long and taper- 

 ing, longest shorter than 6th or 7th primary ; in eclipse shorter 

 and less tapering ; scapulars long and tapering, in eclipse shorter 

 and with square tips. Tail slightly rounded, 18, occasionally 20, 

 stiff feathers. Bill as in M . m. merganser but less re-arcuate, upper 

 mandible with dorsal line gently decimate to middle. Nostrils 

 near base of bill. Loral feathering extending further forward on 

 bill than frontal. Well developed occipital crest, longest in J, 

 rudimentary in juv. $ and $, shorter in first winter $ and § than 

 in adult $. Other structure as in M. m. merganser. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad. $) deep carmine, culmen and nail black, 

 (ad. $) as male but duller, (juv. and first winter $) upper mandible 

 reddish-horn, under orange-red ; legs and feet (ad. <$) deep ver- 

 milion, (ad. $) paler, (juv.) brownish-yellow, webs dull brown, 

 (first winter <$) orange-red, webs dusky ; iris (ad. <§) carmine, 

 (ad. $) duller, (first winter ^) yellow. 



Characters. — No subspecies. For differences of M. m. merganser 

 see under that species. Distinguished from M . albellus and M . cucul- 

 latus by having distal halves of secondaries white. 



Field -characters. — Of very similar form and habits to Goosander, 

 but much smaller and seldom seen on freshwater out of breeding- 

 season. Male differs from Goosander in having double crest, 

 longest in upper part, chestnut breast-band, black and white 

 shoulder-patch, and lacks rosy blush on under-parts. Females are 

 more alike, but Merganser looks smaller, instead of considerably 

 larger, than a Mallard. Her back is brown rather than grey, 

 and white wing-patch is larger and divided by a more distinct 

 black line. Call, a hoarse " kar-r-r " like Goosander's, but male 

 utters a soft cooing note, and female when disturbed a harsh 

 " quark." 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts sea-coast as well as lakes and rivers 

 inland. Nest. — Well hidden, sheltered by briars, heather or long 

 grass, sometimes in hollow on grassy cliff, or in burrow, among 

 loose stones, etc. Down plentiful, greyish -drab with light centres 

 (feathers from nest see Brit. Birds, n, PL 2). Eggs. — Usually 7 to 

 10, but 11 to 16 on record ; greenish-buff to stone-drab. Average 

 of 100 eggs, 65.2x44.6. Max. : 70.7x44.7 and 64.5x47.3. Min. : 

 60.4x42.5 and 65x40.3 mm. Breeding -season. — Last week May 



