68 



GOOSANDER. 

 MERGUS MERGANSER. 

 [Plate LXVIII.— Fig. 1, Male.'] 



UHarUf Bmss. VI, p. 231. 1. 22.— Btjff. Till, p. 267. j)!. 2S.—Jlrct. Zool. JVo. 465.— Lath. 



Ill, p. 418.— Peace's Museum, JV"o. 2932. 



THIS large and handsomely marked bird belongs to a genus 

 different from that of the Ducky on account of the particular form 

 and serratures of its bill. The genus is characterised as follows : 

 " Bill toothed, slender, cylindrical, hooked at the point ; nostrils 

 small, oval, placed in the middle of the bill ; feet four toed, the 

 outer toe longest." Naturalists have denominated it Merganser. 

 In this country the birds composing this genus are generally known 

 by the name of Fishermen, or Fisher ducks. The whole number 

 of known species amount to only nine or ten, dispersed through 

 various quarters of the world ; of these, four species, of which the 

 present is the largest, are known to inhabit the United States. 



From the common habit of these birds in feeding almost en- 

 tirely on fin and shell fish, their flesh is held in little estimation, 

 being often lean and rancid, both smelling and tasting strongly of 

 fish ; but such are the various peculiarities of tastes, that persons 

 are not wanting who pretend to consider them capital meat. 



The Goosander, called by some the Water Pheasant, and by 

 others the Sheldrake, Fisherman, Diver, &c. is a winter inhabitant 

 only, of the sea shores, fresh water lakes, and rivers of the United 

 States. They usually associate in small parties of six or eight, and 

 are almost continually diving in search of food. In the month 

 of April they disappear, and return again early in November. Of 

 their particular place and manner of breeding we have no ac- 



