HATATOEES. ANATÏDÆ.
T H E HOODED MERGANSER.
Mergus eucutlaUis, ~ Hooded Merganser, § e l b y , B r i t i vO r n i t f i , p 7 * 3 8 3 . :, 1 y JÉNf^SçrBrit; YrerWp’. 249i
z f , ' , j , » . E ïa ^ ^R a r e 'B f i^ ^ ir^ s ^ p ^ J ^ t
> Göi^^Mïiras oCTuropc, pt> jï.~-
w ti ■ _ „V —Harle Tksnsr.Man. d*OôStK%li|.vol. iv] p.’5$7\
W e are indebted to Mr. Selby, for .the first police of the
Hooded Merganser as a British Bird^ythe specimen ^ a s 1 obtain
e d a t Yarmouth, in Norfolk, during'the^inter of-(1829,
and passing into the possession of Mr.: Selby, the occurrence
was recorded in the first Wülume-:of -the? Transactions of the
Natural History qf Northumberland, .^Durham,, and bïew~.
eastle-upon-Tynl,^ page 292. A short notice .appears also
in Messrs. Paget’s sketch -©fT the Natural H isto r^o f Yarmouth
and its vicinity; andean early-account appeared in
the third volume of the Edinburgh JournalfMNatural and
Geographical Science, page 238, by Mr. Selby, who was informed
that other instances of the capture of birds of this
species had occurred.
• Since that period T. C. Eyton, Esq. has obtained a specimen
/which was kilted?. in "the; Menai Straits, near Bangor, in
the winter of:.J&3ÉfÉft‘, Mr. Hoy,:.of Stoke Nayland, in
Suffolk, obtained an adult, male as recorded in the Naturalist
; -and I - have heard of .another example that was shot at
Benton .Park, tfidfestate of Anthony Ralph Biddulph, Esq.
Though only an accidental visiter“to this country, or even
l^fiEjurope, the Hopdédr Merganser is well known in North
America,; and-to-thë dïnithologists of that extensive continent
we^.' must; refer for. ah' aecount-nof the habits of this
speèilf§!|p Mr. Audubon writes as follow’s : —“ Excepting the
SmeWj Or White. Nun,«th#:Hooded Merganser'is the hand-
someStyöfdls- family: Its broad and rounded crest of pure
white, with arn edging^of jetty black, and which it closes or
spreads out at pleasure, renders the male of this species conspicuous.’
on tliè waters to whidirn rë'sorts. Thé activity of
its motions, -the rapidity,,of its flight, and its other habits,
contributed! render it a pleasing object «to the student of
-nathreymbt le ^ th a n to ilje sportsman. Its flesh, however,
has. a fishy taste and qdour, although it is relished by some
persons»! HsseemSi^ prefer fresh water,'and is by no means
#^ry ifedqarent along the sett coast. Long, narrow, and moderately
deep^.G^fe’ks;: or. small ponds,1 are more frequented by
it than large rivers%r lakes“«^ On the' waters of the.western
and southern States these Mergansers are seen to arrive from
thêmorth early in October, but, generally, later than many
^p%iCr|g,»'ófi Ducks, although L sooner than either the Red-
breasted Merganser; or the Goosander. At the approach of
■might, a person', standing still ©n the banks of such a river as
the Ohio, first héar&'the well-known sound of wings whistling
.through the air, presently after,. a different noise, as if pro-
’ duéed by an eagler stooping on her prey, when gliding down