GOOSANDER, 



217 



lesser redpole perform this action, but in a different manner. Their 

 cage had no wires, — only a back-board, a bottom-board, and one perch, 

 To one foot of the bird was attached a light slender chain, which allowed 

 it more exercise than it could have had in the common wire cage ; at 

 the outer edge of the bottom-board was a ring, through which ran the 

 chain, to each end of which were fastened the little buckets that held 

 the food and water, which the bird drew up with its foot and bill ; and 

 as one bucket was drawn up, the other sunk, thus lessening the diffi- 

 culty, and lightening the task." 



It appears to be a vain bird ; for if a looking-glass is placed before 

 it, the reflection of its own gay feathers seems greatly to delight it. 

 The Goldfinch is a long-lived bird. Willughby mentions one that lived 

 twenty-three years in a state of confinement.* 



GOOLDIE. — A name for the Goldfinch. 



GOOSANDER (Mergus merganser, Linn^us.) 



Mergus merganser, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 208. 2. — Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 544. — Raii, Syn. 

 p. 134. A. 1.— Will. p. 255. t. 64.— Ind. Orn. 2. p. 828. 1.— Briss. 6. p. 231, 



t. 32.— lb. 8vo. 2. p. 423 Le Harle, Buff. 8. p. 267. t. 23.— Temm. 2. 881.—, 



Goosander, or Merganser, Br. Zool. 2. No. 260. t. 92. f. 1.— Ib. fob 147.— 

 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 465.-26. Supp. p. 73. — Will. (Angl.) p. 335. t. 64.— Lath. 

 Syn. 6. p. 418. 1.— Lewin's Br. Birds, 6. t. 231.— Putt. Cat. Dorset, p. 19.— 

 Wale. Syn. 1. t. 79. — Don. Br. Birds, 3. t. 49. — Greater Goosander, Linn. 

 Trans. 4. p. 122. 



FEMALE AND YOUNG. 



* Mergus castor, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 545. sp. 2. var. — Lath. Ind. 2. 829. sp. 2. — 

 Mergus rubricapillus, Gmel. Svst. 1. p. 545. — Dun Diver, Sparling Fowl, Lath. 



Syn. 6. p. 420. 421 Supp. l". p. 270 Temm. 2. 885 Flem. Br. Anim. p. 



128. 129. 



Provincial. — Jack-saw.* 



This is the largest species of merganser ; weight about four pounds ; 

 length two feet four inches. The bill three inches long, narrow, ser- 

 rated, or toothed, on the edges of both mandibles ; the tip of the upper 

 hooked ; colour red ; irides the same ; the head and upper part of the 

 neck glossy greenish black ; the feathers on the crown and back of the 

 head are long and loose ; the rest of the neck, breast, and under parts, 

 white ; the sides, above the thighs, undulated with dusky lines ; the 

 upper part of the back black ; lower part of the back, rump, and tail 

 coverts, brownish ash-colour ; the lesser wing coverts white ; the rest 

 ash-colour, with some white ; the greater quill-feathers are black, with 

 ash-colour on the interior webs of some of the inner ones ; the secon- 

 daries white, margined with greenish black on the outer webs ; the 

 scapulars nearest the body black, the others white ; the tail consists of 

 eighteen ash-coloured feathers, with dusky shafts ; legs orange : in 

 some specimens the breast is of a rosy buff-colour. 



*Mr. Simmonds remarks that there is so much similarity in the 



