periods of age. During tlie winter this species resorts to 
many of the Northern parts of Great Britain, but is rarely 
met with in the South, now and then an individual is sent 
up with other wild fowl to the London market ; during the 
last winter we procured three birds, two males and one 
female, at Leadenhall Market; and we purchased one male 
bird of a man who was retailing poultry in the streets, 
and had this and two or three fine Sheldrakes to dispose 
of as Wild Ducks. The flesh of the Merganser was of- 
fensive in the hijrhest degree ; its colour almost black, and 
what little fot there was about it, was of a bright reddish 
o-old colour ; the trachea corresponded with the figures of 
Dr. Latham's in the Linnean Transactions, v. ^. p. 121. 
pi 16. /. 1. 2. with this exception, that the swolen part was 
nearly equal in size on each side the bronchia. 
The immature birds are said to resemble the female 
for two years ; and the young males do not acquire their 
full plumage till afier the third moult. These birds are 
said to breed in Greenland ; and have been observed at 
Hudson's Bay and Newfoundland in large flocks ; the nest 
is said to be made of dry grass, lined with down from the 
breast of the bird; the eggs are white, ten to thirteen in 
number, abotit the size of those of the common Duck. 
It is supposed to breed in some of the Northern parts of 
Scotland. It feeds on fish, molusca and sea weed ; is widely 
dispersed oyer the Northern parts of Europe and America, 
