392 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



large, oval and situated near middle of maxilla. Head of adult 

 male with a frontal and occipital crest, ad. $ with an occipital 

 crest, juv. £ and $ crest rudimentary. Other structure as in 

 M. m. merganser. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad. <$) plumbeous, nail greyish-white, (ad. ?) 

 dark lead-grey tinged greenish laterally, nail whitish ; legs and 

 feet (ad. $) plumbeous, (ad. $) paler and tinged green ; iris (ad. $) 

 bright red (ad. §) red. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Short stout bill, small size, black- 

 brown secondaries tipped white distinguish this species in all 

 plumages from other British Mergansers. 



Field -characters. — Mostly maritime. Adult male, seldom seen 

 on inland waters, attracts attention when swimming by purity of 

 its white plumage, and black marks on head and narrow bifurcated 

 lines on sides of breast are discernible only at comparatively close 

 quarters. In flight black on back and wings gives a boldly pied 

 appearance. Female quite as characteristic, pure white cheeks 

 and chin, reddish-chestnut and slightly crested crown and grey 

 back identify her at once on the water, whilst a large white lozenge - 

 shaped wing-patch shows in flight. Habits very like those of other 

 " Saw-bills," but noiseless flight accomplished by very quick wing- 

 beats is even more rapid. The hoarse grating call is similar to the 

 " kar-r-r " of its congeners. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts wooded streams and lakes. Nest. — In 

 natural holes of trees near water ; also frequently in nesting-boxes. 

 Down pale grey. Eggs. — 6 to 9, exceptionally 10 ; warm cream- 

 colour, very like Wigeon's eggs but surface smoother, and heavier. 

 Average of 107 eggs, 52.4x37.4. Max.: 58x40.5. Min. : 47.7 X 

 34 mm. Breeding -season. — Latter part May and June. Incubation. 

 — By female. Period unknown. Single brooded. 

 Food. — Mainly animal, especially fish (including fluke, young 

 salmon, trout, roach, gudgeon, minnows, eel (up to 11| in.), 

 bleak, sand-smelt and sticklebacks), also small Crustacea (fresh- 

 water shrimps, sandhoppers and common shrimp) ; frogs ; insects 

 (water-beetles) ; freshwater mollusca, and occasionally vegetable 

 matter. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Winter-visitor (mid-Sept, onwards 

 to end March-early May). Not uncommon east coast Great Britain, 

 tolerably regular south coast, but scarce west coasts, except in 

 some I. Hebrides, where not uncommon. Rare O. Hebrides, Orkneys 

 and Shetlands. Rare, but probably annual, visitor Ireland. Occurs 

 on fresh waters as well as on coast. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Northern Palsearctic region, from north 

 of Baltic to Bering Sea in summer and said to breed in Ufa (Russia), 

 on Volga and in Dobrogea. In winter south to north-west Africa, 

 Mediterranean generally, Black and Caspian Seas, north India, 

 China, and Japan. Casual Egypt. 



