clays old, have the elongated form of the adult, and a silken kind of plumage well adapted to resist wet. 
The colouring of their bodies is not without beauty. When feathers take the place of the infantine costume, 
the birds grow so rapidly that in four or five weeks their full size will be attained. Both males and females 
are now alike ; and the style of dress assumed is carried by the former until the second year, when it 
suddenly changes to the finer dress. 
So graphically has Mr. Selby described the habits of this bird, that I do not hesitate to give the following 
extract from his ‘ Illustrations of British Birds ; ’ to which I shall add a copy of a letter received from 
Jeffery Whitehead, Esq., of Devonshire Villa, Muswell Hill, furnishing some particulars of the colouring of 
the bird in the month of January, when it appears to be in its most beautiful state of plumage. 
“ Upon tbe Northumbrian and other coasts of the north of England,” says Mr. Selby, “ the species is a 
regular winter visitant, but always more abundantly in severe than in mild seasons. It haunts the bays and 
Inlets w'here small streams discharge themselves, as well as the estuaries of rivers, but seldom advances far 
beyond tbe influence of the tide. In the Highlands and Isles of Scotland these birds are found at all seasons 
of the year, making the freshwater lakes of the interior their residence during the summer, and in winter, 
should they become frozen, resorting to tbe salt-water inlets. Tliey breed upon the margins of the lakes, or 
in preference upon the islets with which many of them are diversified. Upon Loch Awe, in the Western 
Islands, they are common ; and their nests have been repeatedly found by Sir William Jardine and myself 
upon tbe several islands that beautify its western extremity. The nest is always situated a few yards beyond 
the highest water-line, frequently beside a large stone covered with brambles and coarse herbage, or under 
the shelter of some thick bush. It is composed of dried grass, small roots, &c., intermixed with feathers 
and a quantity of down of the bird, which appears to be added to as incubation advances. Tlie eggs are from 
seven to eleven in number, of a colour intermediate between cream-yellow and wood-brown, and in size and 
shape like those of the Common Duck. The bird sits remarkably close, and wall sometimes allow itself to be 
almost trodden upon before it will quit the nest. The Merganser is an excellent diver, remaining for a long 
time submerged, during which it makes rapid progress. In this way it frequently escapes when wounded, 
merely raising its bill above water to take breath and again dipping down, without causing any perceptible 
disturbance of the surface.” 
“ The male Merganser,” says Mr. Whitehead, “ which I have requested Mr. Leadbeater to submit to your 
inspection, was shot by myself on Loch Fleet (a salt-water loch) on the east coast of Sutherlandshire, on the 
1st of January. Much of its beauty has faded already ; for when I first handled it I was much struck by the 
exquisite pink colour of the lower part of the breast and belly. I know not what to compare it to ; it was 
more delicate than that of the Roseate Tern as figured in your ‘Birds of Europe:’ it vanished within two or 
three hours after death.” 
The adult male has the head and upper part of the neck dark shining green, and the occipital crest still 
darker, approaching to black ; neck white, with the exception of a narrow line from the occiput to the back, 
which, as also the shoulders, are black ; shorter scapularies white, the longer ones black ; on each side 
immediately in front of the wing a conspicuous tuft of feathers of a pure Avhite, broadly margined with rich 
velvet black ; lesser wing-coverts white ; greater coverts and secondaries black at the base, their outer halves 
being white, and with the lesser coverts forming three conspicuous white bands on tbe wing ; primaries 
brownish black ; tertiaries white, edged with black ; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts, sides and 
flanks grey, minutely freckled with black ; tail brownish ash-colour ; lower part of the neck pale reddish 
brown, streaked and varied with black ; breast and under surface A ery delicate pinkish salmon-colour ; under 
tail-coverts white ; bill bright red, the culmen dark brown, and the nail somewhat lighter ; irides red ; legs 
and toes reddish orange ; membranes dark reddish broAvn. 
The female has the head, occipital crest, and back of the neck dark broAvn ; back, scapularies, and lesser 
Aving-coverts umber broAvn ; greater coAerts and secondaries broAAmish black, terminated Avith Avhite, forming 
two Avhite bands ; primaries and tertiaries dark or broAvnisb black ; neck mingled reddish and pale broAvn ; 
under surface pale buff ; upper tail-coverts and tail ashy brown ; sides of the bill and nostrils fleshy red ; 
culmen reddish black ; irides red ; legs and toes A^ery fine reddish orange ; tbe membranes olive-broAvn. 
The young birds, AA'hen a feAv days old, have the head and all the upper surface light chocolate-broAAui ; 
above the eye a small patch, and beloAv it a stripe of white ; below this and on each side of the neck is a 
wash of rusty red ; all the under surface, the shoulders, and the extremity of the abbreviated Avings and three 
large spots on the sides, Avithin the dark tint of the upper surface, white ; bill and legs pale fleshy red. 
The Plate represents a male, a female, and fiv^e young birds about the size of life. 
