f 95 } 
The Red-Breasted Goosander. 
T his Bird is of a middle Size, between a Duck and Goofe : I find one of them 
figured in fmall by Robert Cobinef^ Painter to Lewis the 14th of France, which he 
calls Merghanfer Cyrrhatus, in a Set of Prints by him publiflied. It differs from our; 
Goofander defcribed by Willoughby, />• 335« in that it hath a red Bread:. Mr. Albin, in 
his Hiftory of Birds, w/. 2. p. 90* has figured a Bird which feems to me to be taken 
from the American Goofander, though his Defcription is lamely tranfcribed firom Wil¬ 
loughby, only with the Addition of a red Breaft, which the Englijh Goofander hath not. 
My Defcription is as follows: 
The Bill is near three Inches and a Qiwrter long from the Tip to the Angles of the 
Mouth, flraight and narrow, or compreffed fideways, contrary to thofe of Ducks j the up¬ 
per Part hooked at. the End ; both upper and under toothed their whole Lengths y the 
upper Part Red, clouded with a Dufky-Colour > the lower Part of a brighter Red : The- 
whole Head is Black, which refleds a fhining green Glofs^ the Feathers behind the 
Head are loofe, and longer than the other Feathers; the Neck for fome Space is White,, 
yet juft behind there is a black Line which goes from the Head to the Back j the lower 
Part of the Neck, and the Breaft, is of a brownifti Orange-colour, with black Spots 
along the Shafts of the Feathers : On each Side, at the bottom of the Neck, or begin¬ 
ning of the Breaft, is a remarkable Spot, compofed of white Feathers, bordered with 
Black: The Back is firft Black; the hind Part and Rump of an Afh-colour, 
finely painted with tranfverfe Lines ofDufky: The Tail is of a very dirty Brown j 
from the Shoulders proceed white Feathers on each Side, which fall between the Back 
and Wings: The Qmlls are Black for the firft ten; the three next have their outer 
Webs Black, and their inner White; the fix following are White, except their Bot¬ 
toms ; the next four are White, with their outer Webs finely edged with Black almoft 
to their Tips; the three innermoft next the Back are wholly Black ; the Coverts next 
above the Qmlls are firft Black over the black or greater Quills, the reft have black 
Bottoms and white Tips, and thefe cover the Quills of the fame Colour; above thefe 
there is a Part of the lefiTer Coverts of the Wing White ; yet the whole Wing, when 
clofed, is encompafied with a Border of dufky or blackifti Feathers, except the very 
Ridge about the Joint, which is White ; the Covert Feathers within Side of the Wings 
are alfo White; the Belly, Thighs, Sides, and Coverts under the Tail, are White, 
clouded a little with Cream Colour; the Sides under the Wings are variegated with fine 
tranfverfe Lines of a Dufky Colour ; the Legs and Feet are much like thofe of Ducks ; 
the fmall Toe behind, and the inner Sides of the inner Toes on each Foot, have lateral 
Fins, or Webs; both Legs and Feet are of a Red-colour, pretty bright; the Claws are 
Black. 
This Bird was brought from Newfoundland, where it Vv^as taken at Sea on the Fiftiing. 
Banks, as I am informed by my obliging Friend, George Holms, Efq; who prefentedme 
with this Bird well preferved. I believe that no Defcription hath been hitherto given 
of this Bird, nor any perfect Figure, except Roberts's, ^which exprefies the white Spots 
on the Sides of the Neck; which Albin hath not either figured or defcribed in his. 
Mr. Willoughby, on opening the Stomach of the European Goofander,. found it to feed 
on Fifh. 
