other bird that is furnilhed with a crejl at all; for in fuch the females,
in many cafes,-"have not even the rudiment of one. Again,
fome of the Dun-Divers have been proved to have~a labyrinth, as
well as the Goofander x by this is meant an enlargement of the
bottom of the wind-pipe, juft before the entrance into the lungs:
and as it is only found in the males of the Duck kind *, we have
a right to conclude the fame in refpeft to the birds in queftion,
efpecially as they are the neareft link to the Duck genus. But a
far more interefting circumftance than any o f the above-noted
is, that fome of the larger Dun-Divers have really proved, on
dtjfeblion, to be males. This difcovery I owe to the attention of
Dr. Heyjham, who informs me that he has more than once found
it to be fo. The laft he met with o f that fex, was at Carlijle, in
the month of December. He likewife obferves, that the Dun-
Diver is infinitely more common in Cumberland than the Goofan-
der, at leaft ten or fifteen of the firft to one of the laft, which
indeed is fo fcarce there, that he never had an opportunity of differing
more than one, which however turned out to be a male.
* Ray's words run thus, in refpeft to the Dun-Diver: “ Hasc etiam ampullam
" feu labyrinthum in afpera arteria habet: quod maribus proprium opinati
ft fumus.”—-Syn. p. 135.
In Willughby we find the following.—-** In the Dun-Diver, which we take to
<c be the female ofthe Goofander, we found a large labyrinth—fo that we will not
“ be very confident that the Goofander and Dun-Diver differ no more than in
** fex.”— Or», p. 336.
BriJ/hn’s figure ofthe Harle cendret ou Bievre, the Mergus Caftor of Linnaus,
defcribed by us above, is faid to be that of the male bird. In refpedl to our fpe-
cimen, this mattercould not he afcertaincd j a9, the bird Having come from a
great diftance, the inward parts were too much diflolved to be attended to with
any degree of certainty.
423
Having faid thus much, there is no way to reconcile the pre-
fent opinion of authors, but by fuppofing tht peffibility of the
young birds of both fexes retaining the female plumage for a certain
number of years, before they attain that of the male, as is the
cafe in fome birds : but in allowing this circumftance, we muft
fuppofe them likewife capable of propagating their fpecies;
which, if true, is not very ufual in animals before they arrive at
maturity.
We have been led to this digreffion from a defire of future
information; and elpecially if any with the plumage of the
Goofander be females. This is to be gained only from repeated
obfervations, aided by the unerring guide of difleftion; a circumftance
hitherto not attended to in the manner neceffary to
fuch enquiries.
Mergus ferrator, Lin. Syjl. i. p. 208. 3 .— Faun. Sneer p. 136.— Brun. N° 96.
—Muller, N° 134.— Georgi Reife, p. i6g.
Mergus albellus, Seep. Jinn. i. N° 89.
L’Harle huppe, Brif. Orn. vi. p. 237. 2. pi. 23 .— Buf. Oif. viii. p. 271.—
PI. Enl. 207. .
Red-breafted Goofander, Edva. pi. 95.— Allin, ii. pi. 101.
Mergus criffiatus capite caftaneo, &c. Kram. El. p. 343. 2. (female.)
-------- cirratus fufeus, Raii Syn. p. 13;. A. 4.— mil. Orn. p. 336. (Mirgus
cirratus minor) pi. 64. (female.)
Red-breafied Goofandeis, N° 261. pi. 93. (male and female.)
Br. Muf. Lev. Muf. -
J ^ E N G T H one foot nine inches: breadth two feet feven:
weight two pounds. The bill is three inches long; the
upper mandible dulky; the lower red : irides purplilh red : the
head, and part of the neck, are black gloffed with green : the
+-RED-BREAST-
ED M.
DeSCRIPTION,