File:The birds of Europe (1837) (14727672866).jpg

Identifier: birdsEuropeVGoul (find matches)
Title: The birds of Europe
Year: 1837 (1830s)
Authors: Gould, John, 1804-1881
Subjects: Pictorial works Birds
Publisher: London, Printed by R. and J.E. Taylor, pub. by the author
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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stic tail and waterproof plumage tend to support an opinion that, like the Cormo-rant and Darters, it swims almost entirely submersed beneath the surface, while its short concave wings andbroadly webbed feet also assure us that in the power of diving it is second to none. Its food is said to consist of molluscous animals and fishes. The female differs from the male more in the obscurity of her markings and in the general dullness of hercolouring than in any decided contrast, a circumstance in which we may again trace a resemblance to the New-Holland Duck already alluded to. Beak fine bluish lead colour; crown of the head black; forehead, cheeks, throat, and occiput pure white ;chest, flanks, scapularies, and the whole of the upper part, of a fine reddish brown, transversely intersectedwith irregular zigzag lines of blackish brown; quills and tail black; under surface dull russet brown; tarsiand feet brownish ; irides fine yellow. The Plate represents an adult male of the natural sizp,
Text Appearing After Image:
^ i © CO Genus MERGUS, Linn. Gen. Char. Beak lengthened, nearly cylindrical, largest at the base, curved at the tip,nailed ; both mandibles armed at the edges with sharp angular teeth directed backwards.Nostrils one third from the base, oval, longitudinal, lateral, near the centre of the man-dible. Feet webbed ; outer toe longest; hind toe lobed and free ; tarsi compressed. Wingsmoderate ; second quill-feathers the longest. GOOSANDER. Mergus Merganser, Linn.Le Grand Harle. Pre-eminently distinguished by the breadth and boldness of its colouring, and the delicacy of some of itstints, the Goosander, both from its beauty and its superiority of size, is entitled to rank as the finest of itsgenus ; admirably adapted for diving, it possesses great power and agility in the water ; its flight also, whenonce fairly on the wing, is strong and rapid. Its native locality appears to be the northern regions of the continents of Europe and America, where,among large and unfrequented lakes, it finds

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