THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 191 



raising the fore part of his body out of the water, and, 

 plunging forward, will make a low bow with a peculiar jerk 

 of the head, expanding his red gape wide open, and lifting 

 his tongue in a very noticeable manner. Feeding mostly 

 on small fishes, these Mergansers dive readily and deeply, 

 seeming to prefer rapid currents, against which they " hold 

 their own " for hours while fishing. 



Always partial to fresh waters, it bred in many parts of 

 our Middle and Eastern States, in Audubon's time, he 

 having found on two occasions the female in charge of her 

 brood in the lower parts of Kentucky. It still breeds com- 

 monly from Northern New England and the upper regions 

 of the Great Lakes, through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, 

 the Magdalen Islands, Labrador, Newfoundland, etc. It 

 breeds sparingly throughout the great Northwest Territory, 

 but Mr. Fortiscue does not record it from Hudson's Bay. 

 The nests are placed on small islands in large bodies of 

 fresh water, or near fresh water ponds, and along the 

 margins of streams, in the tall grass or sedges, or under low 

 bushes. Thus unlike the other Mergansers, which build for 

 the most part in holes in trees, this species nests on the ground. 

 The nest is made like that of a Duck — and Ducks' nests in 

 general are very much alike — and, like it, accumulates 

 quite a quantity of down as incubation proceeds. The eggs, 

 6-12, but sometimes as many as 18, are about 2.55 X 1.72, 

 oval, with strong and smoothly-polished shells, and of a 

 greenish-brown tint. They are generally deposited from 

 the middle of May to the middle of June or later, according 

 to latitude. The young, elegant, little brown creatures, with 

 white or grayish-white under parts, make for the water at 

 once, and dive and swim with the utmost readiness. 



"At the approach of autumn they resemble the old 

 females; but the sexes can easily be distinguished by exam- 



