GOOSANDER, MERGUS MERGANSER, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p.68, pl. 68, fig. 1. Male, and fig. 2. Female.—_Richards. and Swains._ Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 461.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 460. Adult Male. Plate CCCXXXI. Fig. 1. Bill about the length of the head, straight, strong, tapering, higher than broad at the base, nearly cylindrical toward the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal outline sloping gently to the middle, then straight, along the unguis suddenly decurved; the ridge broad at the base, then convex; the sides sloping rapidly at the base, convex toward the end; the edges serrated beneath; the unguis oblong, much curved, abruptly rounded at the end. Nasal groove elongated; nostrils submedial, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, and extended to the unguis, which is obovate; the sides nearly erect in their outer half, with a long narrow groove, the edges serrate within. Head rather large, compressed, oblong. Neck rather short, thick. Body full, depressed. Feet placed far behind, short, stout; tibia bare for about a quarter of an inch; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly covered with small scutella, and another row on the lower half externally, the sides reticulate. Hind toe very small, with an inferior free membrane; anterior toes half as long again as the tarsus; second shorter than fourth, which is almost as long as the third, all connected by reticulated webs, which are deeply concave; the outer toe slightly margined, the inner with a broad marginal membrane. Claws rather small, moderately arched, compressed, acute, that of the middle toe with a thin inner edge. Plumage moderately full, dense, soft, glossy. Feathers of the head and neck silky, blended, elongated along the median line, so as to form a not conspicuous crest; of the back rather compact; of the lower parts blended. Wings short, of moderate breadth, convex, acute; primaries narrow, tapering, the first scarcely shorter than the second, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries rather short, narrow, rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of eighteen rather narrow rounded feathers.