WILD FOWL 
feet and toes vermilion-red. Total length about 26 inches; bill 2 ‘4 
inches; wing 11 5 inches; tail 4 3 inches; tarsus 2*1 inches. 
Adult male in eclipse-plumage. — Closely resembles the adult female. 
Adult female. — Head and upper neck reddish -chestnut, browner on the 
crown and occiput, the feathers being much elongated and forming a con- 
spicuous crest; chin and upper part of the throat white; back of the neck 
grey, the feathers edged with whitish; rest of the upper parts, including 
the inner secondary quills, scapulars and wing-coverts ash-grey; median 
secondaries white tipped with black, their greater coverts black with a 
wide subterminal white band; inner secondary and primary quills and 
their coverts black ; rest of the lov/er neck and underparts white ; sides and 
flanks grey tipped with whitish; axillaries pure white. The colours of 
the iris, bill, legs and toes are similar to those of the male, but less bright. 
Total length about 22 inches; bill 1*9 inch; wing 9 8 inches; tail 
4*0 inches; tarsus 1 8 inch. 
General distribution.-— goosander inhabits the northern and central 
parts of Europe and Northern Asia. Its breeding-range includes Iceland, 
Scandinavia, Finland and North Russia southwards to Denmark, East 
Germany, the Swiss Lakes, the Central Volga districts and the Ural. East- 
wards it ranges across Siberia to Kamchatka. In winter it is met with 
in Southern Spain, sparingly in the Mediterranean basin, except in the 
Adriatic, while in the Black Sea it is common. It is rare on the African 
coasts, but has occasionally been met with in Morocco, Algeria and Tunis. 
It is not met with in Central Asia or India, where a very closely allied 
form takes its place, but winters in China and Japan. 
Distribution in the British Isles. — Though chiefly a winter-visitor to 
the British Isles a number nest in various localities in Scotland. In the 
Shetlands, Orkneys and Outer Hebrides it is seldom met with, and is 
neither a regular nor common winter-visitor on the south coasts of England, 
Wales and Ireland, but elsewhere it is fairly common in the estuaries 
and inland waters. 
Nest and eggs. — ^The goosander breeds very early in the year, towards 
the end of April or early in May. The site selected is usually a hollow 
tree by the side of a loch, but sometimes a hole under the roots or a 
sheltered ledge of rock are made use of. The hole is lined plentifully with 
greyish-white down, and from eight to thirteen dark cream-coloured 
eggs are laid, measuring about 2 *7 by 1 '8 inches. Incubation lasts about 
twenty -eight days. 
ccc 
377 
