254 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



attempt to get on close terms with a full-plumaged 

 drake, but all to no purpose. Two days after the 

 attempt had been given up as hopeless, that very 

 same bird got itself meshed in a fishing-net in the 

 most obliging manner and was drowned. When the 

 net was hauled in '* he cum aboord." It has now 

 become the fashion for birds to be rare, and thus 

 large prices can be asked for specimens of the most 

 common species. 



The Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, or 

 Earl Duck has been found breeding in some parts 

 of Great Britain, but I refrain for very good reasons 

 from mentioning the names of such places. Scot- 

 land and Ireland, as might naturally be expected, 

 are more favoured by this species than are English 

 waters on the southern coast, and a full-plumaged 

 bird may be considered rare, although northwards it 

 is not thought uncommon. It is very nimble in its 

 movements, and to get the chance of seeing it you 

 must go to places which are, as a rule, most carefully 

 avoided by all but genuine sea-dogs, on account of 

 the sand-bars. Those who have gone through the 

 race or cut of a dangerous bar need not be told what 

 it is like, they know well that the sooner one is out 

 of it the better. One sketch will be enough. 



" Not a damned bunch o' feathers among the lot 

 on us, an' we left port at sunrise. I don't like the 

 notion o' beatin' roun' the bar. 'Tis a long sail, an' a 

 dirty one 'twill be if we wentures it, an' no mistake, 

 if I reckins right the tide's makin'. Shall us foorce 

 through the cut '^ What says the crew o' this 'ere 



