BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 35 



when they bred in my own county, I found the young on the 

 ponds and small grassy lakes as early as the first week in 

 June, and as late as the last week of July, which warranted 

 the presumption that they rear more than one brood each 

 year. 



Their food consists of fish, mussels, and occasionally the 

 stems and roots of aquatic vegetation. The flight of the Mer- 

 gansers, or Shelldrakes, as they are more commonly called in 

 this country, is not very unlike that of the Mallard, yet easily 

 distinguished by experienced sportsmen at a considerable dis- 

 tance. Although they have become quite rare in the southern 

 they are more readily found in the northern portions of the 

 State, where there are extensive are as yet wild enough to 

 meet all the requirements for their food and reproduction. 

 They linger in small family flocks in autumn as late as an 

 abundant supply of food is obtainable, and move away south- 

 ward in the night. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Feathers of the forehead extending on the bill in an acute 

 angle for half the distance between those on the sides and 

 nostrils; outline of those on the sides nearly vertical, and 

 reaching but little beyond the beginning of the lower edge of 

 the bill, but as far as those on the side of the lower jaw; nos- 

 trils large, far forward, their middle opposite the middle of 

 the commissure. Head and neck green; fore part of back 

 black; beneath salmon color; wings mostly white, crossed by 

 one band of black; sides faintly barred transversely. 



Length, 26.50; wing, 11; tarsus 1.85; commissure, 2.90. 



Habitat. North America generally. 



:MERGANSER SERRATOR (L.). (130.) 

 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 



This Merganser cannot be regarded as a common resident, 

 yet I have found it breeding within a few miles of both Minne- 

 apolis and St. Paul, and it is known to do so in several localities 

 to the west of our great timber belt, as in the vicinity of some 

 small lakes embraced in that forest. They arrive with the 

 earlier game ducks, and are frequently shot under the sup- 

 position that they belong to that class. As with the other 

 species of local ducks, they do not continue long in flocks, but 

 shortly pair off and resort to the more favorable sections for 

 breeding, where they build large, bulky nests on the ground. 

 The nests consist first of rushes, reeds, coarse weeds and 



