58 
ALLEN S naturalist’s LIBRARY. 
THE TRUE MERGANSERS. GENUS MERGANSER. 
Merganser, Briss. Oni. vi. p. 230 (1760). 
Type, M. merganser (Linn.). 
Like tlie preceding genus, the Mergansers have the culmen, 
or ridge of the bill, longer than the tarsus, and, according to 
Count Salvadori, the serrations on both mandibles are very 
conspicuous and tooth-like, and are strongly directed back- 
wards at the tips. 
The range of the genus is very peculiar, for while it is princi- 
pally a northern form, isolated species occur in the southern 
hemisphere, such as M. brasilianus, an inhabitant of South- 
eastern Brazil, and M. australis, confined to the xluckland 
Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. 
I. THE GOOSANDER. MERGANSER MERGANSER. 
Alergus merganser, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 208 (1766) ; Dresser 
B. Eur. vi. p. 685, pi. 452 (1875) j B- O. U. List Br. b! 
p. 136 (1883) ; Seeb. Br. B. iii. p. 625 (1885); Saunders, 
ed. Yarn Br. B. iv. p. 488 (1885) j id. Man. Br. B. p. 4=;q 
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiii. (1893). 
Merganser castor, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 207 (1852); Salvad. Cat. 
B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 472 (1895). 
Adult Male.— General colour above black and white, the sca- 
pulars and mantle being black, extending a little on to the hind- 
neck ; back dark .slaty-grey, as also the rump and upper tail- 
coverts ; the sides of the rump ashy-whitish, with fine dusky 
frecklings , wing-coverts pure white, the greater series with 
concealed black bases ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 
quills black, the inner primaries with a little whitish near the 
end of the inner web, like the primary-coverts; secondaries 
white, the inner ones bordered with black, the innermost 
somewhat sickle-shaped, and black like the scapulars ■ tail 
slaty-grey ; head and throat black, with a green gloss, not so 
distinct on the sides of the face and throat ; neck all round 
and the under surface of the body from the lower throat 
downwards white, with a delicate tinge of pale salmon-colour, 
more distinct in the breeding-season; bill deep vermilion’ 
black along the culmen and on the nail ; feet vermilion ; iris 
