﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  153 
  

  

  river 
  mouths. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  breed 
  within 
  the 
  confines 
  

   of 
  our 
  district. 
  

  

  CEdemia 
  fusca, 
  Linn. 
  Velvet 
  Scoter. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  foregoing, 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  purely 
  oceanic 
  form 
  that 
  does 
  

   not 
  visit 
  us 
  in 
  great 
  numbers, 
  and 
  only 
  does 
  so 
  in 
  winter. 
  

  

  Genus 
  MERGUS, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Mergus 
  merganser, 
  Linn. 
  Goosander. 
  "Saw-bill." 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  regular 
  winter 
  visitor, 
  and 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  about 
  the 
  

   lochs 
  and 
  rivers 
  throughout 
  " 
  Dee." 
  It 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  known 
  

   to 
  breed 
  within 
  the 
  district, 
  although 
  it 
  has 
  done 
  so 
  a 
  little 
  

   beyond 
  our 
  northern 
  boundary. 
  

  

  Mergus 
  serrator, 
  Linn. 
  Red-breasted 
  Merganser. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  preceding, 
  a 
  winter 
  visitor 
  with 
  us, 
  but 
  in 
  much 
  

   smaller 
  numbers. 
  

  

  [Mergus 
  cucullatus. 
  Linn. 
  Hooded 
  Merganser. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  birds 
  given 
  in 
  Smiles's 
  Life 
  of 
  a 
  Scottish 
  

   Naturalist, 
  p. 
  414, 
  Edward 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  I 
  was 
  told 
  by 
  an 
  old 
  gunner 
  

   and 
  bird-stuffer 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  shot 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  

   but 
  I 
  cannot 
  vouch 
  for 
  its 
  accuracy." 
  

  

  "Very 
  rare 
  visitant; 
  one 
  in 
  Banff 
  Museum, 
  shot 
  at 
  Strath- 
  

   beg." 
  (Serle.) 
  It 
  seems 
  strange 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  specimen 
  here 
  

   referred 
  to 
  was 
  killed 
  at 
  Strathbeg, 
  Edward 
  takes 
  no 
  notice 
  

   of 
  it, 
  seeing 
  he 
  was 
  for 
  so 
  many 
  years 
  caretaker 
  of 
  Banff 
  

   Museum. 
  Beyond 
  the 
  above, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  evidence, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  

   know, 
  of 
  the 
  Hooded 
  Merganser 
  ever 
  having 
  occurred 
  in 
  

   " 
  Dee."] 
  

  

  Mergus 
  albellus, 
  Linn. 
  Smew. 
  

  

  This 
  beautiful 
  bird 
  is 
  not 
  common 
  with 
  us, 
  and 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  

   recorded 
  as 
  a 
  winter 
  straggler. 
  Edward 
  says 
  : 
  [" 
  A 
  specimen, 
  

   either 
  of 
  the 
  Smew 
  or 
  White-headed 
  Duck 
  (Mergus 
  albellus) 
  or 
  

   Hooded 
  Merganser 
  (M. 
  cucullatus), 
  was 
  killed 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  

   1821 
  ; 
  but, 
  unfortunately, 
  it 
  was 
  destroyed 
  by 
  a 
  dog. 
  From 
  

   the 
  description 
  given, 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  Smew."] 
  

  

  