GOOSANDER. 
178 
— Grand harle , Temm. — Goosander , male. — Dun 
Diver, female , of British authors. — This beautiful 
and typical species is one of those which, like the 
hen-harrier and ringtail, the golden and ring-tailed 
eagles, occasioned some controversy among the more 
early modern British ornithologists. The plumage 
of the sexes for the first year is nearly similar, but 
the males and females were long by many consi- 
dered distinct species, and were known under the 
names of Goosander and Dun Diver, Mergus mer- 
ganser and castor. The fact of their identity has, 
however, been long since proved, and the difference 
in the colouring of the sexes agrees with that inci- 
dent to tho other known species. On the main land 
of Great Britain this bird is principally almost en- 
tirely a winter visitant ; we aro aware of no iustance 
of its incubation being discovered, and in our own 
rambles we have only once observed it during sum- 
mer, but that in a locality where some northern sea 
isle may have been its haunt. In winter it frequents 
the inland lakes when not frozen, and ascends rivers, 
apparently becoming less numerous towards the 
south. In rivers, at tho season mentioned, we have 
principally observed it in small parties of from four 
to eight or nine, a single full-dressed male frequently 
accompanying them, or at least the birds in the fe- 
male plumage being always much more numerous. 
The whole party' frequently will dive simultaneously, 
and we have, as in the case of the Golden-eye, occa- 
sionally got within shot by taking advantage of their 
disappearance for a run, getting concealed by the time 
