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The Goosander.
(Mergus merganser.)
The Goosander belongs to the family of the Mergansers, a group of diving Ducks, which feed upon fish; shell-fish, crabs etc., and its beak has been modified to suit its habits. Instead of the broad, flat, soft beak of those species of Duck which feed on water-weeds, shell-fish and animal matter obtained from the bottom of pond or sea, the beak of the Goosander is narrow, hard and tapering. As the edges of the mandibles are armed with a series of sharp tooth-like knobs, this bird is sometimes termed the saw-bill. The Goosander, which is the largest of the Mergansers, occasionally breeds in Scotland.