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 biickets 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 {Mergm merganser, Linn^us.) 
Mergus merganser, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 208. 2. — Gniel. Syst, 2. p. 544. — Raii, Syn. 
p. 134. A. 1. — Will.-Tp. 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. — Ib. Supp. p. 73. — Will. (Angl.) p. 335. t. 64. — Lath. 
Syn. 6. p. 418. 1. — Lewins Br. Birds, 6. t. 231. — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 19.-— 
Wale. Syn. 1. t. 79.-— Don. Br. Birds, 3. t. 49. — Greater Goosander, Linn, 
'J’rans. 4. p. 122. 
FEMALE AND YOUNG. 
*AIergus castor, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 545. sp. 2. var. — Lath. Ind. 2. 829. sp. 2. — 
Mergus rubricapillus, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 545.. — ^Dun Diver, Sparling Fowl, Lath, 
Syn. 6. p. 420, 421. — Supp. 1. 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 tke 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 
