88 British Diving Ducks 
In July and August the immature female moults the whole plumage, and gains the 
full adult dress in October, thus being adult at 15 to I5i months. 
Adult Female, — Crown, nape, sides of the head, and upper neck rich red-brown. 
There is a space of white extending from the chin for a short space down the front of the 
neck. The crown and nape are somewhat darker than the cheeks. The feathers of the 
crown and nape are much elongated, forming a crest. Lower hind-neck, mantle, scapulars, 
inner secondaries, wing-coverts, rump, and tail ashy slate-grey, most of the feathers having 
dark shafts. Central secondaries white, outer secondaries brown, lesser secondaries white 
with black upper parts ; primaries blackish-brown ; rest of the wing ash-grey ; flanks light 
ash-grey, faintly edged with white. Under parts rich yellow cream (not white in life). 
Soft parts similar to the male, only not so highly coloured. Length, 24^ inches ; wing, 
10 inches ; tarsus, 1.75 inch. 
The range of the Goosander is very extensive, as it occurs throughout the Palaearctic 
regions, being replaced by very closely-allied forms in North America and Central Asia, 
the last-named race wintering in India. 
Breeding Range. 
British Isles: Scotland. — There do not seem to have been any reliable records of 
the breeding of this species in Scotland previous to 1871 (J. A. Harvie Brown), although it 
is likely that it has long been a resident here. Like other diving ducks it is extending its 
range rapidly, and will soon be found further to the south. 
Breeds in Sutherland and West Ross {V. F. of NW. Highlands, p. 251 ; cf V. F. 
of Sutherland and Caithness, p. 195). Also in Moray area {V. F. of Moray Basin,, ii. 
p. 117). 
[S. P. Gordon records a nest on June 6, 1906, from Aberdeenshire; also in Elgin 
and Banff, as well as Inverness.^ Probably these are due to confusion with R.-b. Merganser.] 
[No recent records of breeding in Outer Hebrides, though Macgillivray states that he 
found it breeding by the larger lakes, and Dr. Dewar is said to have found it breeding in 
North Uist in 1858, and shot a female off the nest (Gray, Birds of W. of Scotland, p. 403). 
Confirmation is required of this.] 
In Tay area it is now common and increasing {V. F. of Tay Basin and Strathmore, 
p. 249). First record in 1871 {loc. cit.)] cf Ooth. Wolley., ii. p. 632. 
In Argyll it breeds on the mainland south to Loch Awe {V. F. of Argyll and Inner 
Hebrides, p. 141). First record of breeding in Scotland from this district (cf Field, July 29, 
1871, and August 12, 1871 ; V. F. of Tay, p. 254). 
I have seen old females with young in many parts of Perthshire and Argyllshire, 
especially on the Dochart, Orchy, and the Kinglass, in the latter county. I have also seen 
broods on the Glass and the Farrer, in Inverness-shire, and received young unable to fly 
from Fasnakyle in 19 10. I have seen them at the nesting time in Strathnaver, Suther- 
land, about Syre, and shot old birds and young there in August. In Scotland, Goosanders 
frequent somewhat rocky rivers of medium size in the breeding season, and will soon, I 
think, be found in all Highland rivers of this character. 
^ S. p. Gordon may be right in this case, but in his Birds of the Loch and Mountain he has figures and articles of the Goos- 
ander which obviously refer to the Red-breasted Merganser. 
