THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 761 



surface of the water to get a running start, and tlien with outstretched neck 

 and supple wing skim along close to the water, as tho loth to leave its friendh' 

 shelter. Many a time have I seen them in the sw'iftest part of some rushing 

 stream, repeatedly breasting the current with tireless energy for the sake of 

 being sw'ept along some fa\()rite riffle under water, adding thus the momentum 

 of the stream to their own power i:if locomotion in enabling them to seize 

 quickly unsuspecting tr()Ut. 



The young birds swim from the shell, but are nearly full grown before 

 they can fly. A troop of half-grown }-oung under the care of the mother 

 bird affords an interesting study, and not infrequenth' ])rovokes some novice 

 to make the exertion of his life at the oars. At this time tliere is scarcely 

 more than a trace of muscular tissue on the breast of the \'oungsters, but the 

 swimming gear, the legs and hinder ])ortions, is full\- dexeloped, so that in 

 motion the birds look curiousl\- like long-necked water bottles. If pursued in a 

 boat the brood keeps well together, each bird leaning forward, almost standing 

 on the water, and keeping up a motion like a tiny stern-wheeler, the whole 

 flock leaving a wake behind them not unlike that of a small steaiuer. The 

 an.xious mother directs the flight, now dropping into the water to lu'ge the 

 chicks to greater exertions, now fl\ing back to distract the attention of the 

 pursuers, or to de\-elop some ruse to co\-er the escape. Once when a jiarty 

 of us were ]iursuing a brood in tliis manner along the rockv shore of Lake 

 Chelan, the mother liird hit upon a \-ery clever scheme. \Vhen the flock was 

 becoming winded and we would head in toward them, she would flv between us 

 and the shore, pretending to lead the flock liack down the lake. At first we bit 

 eagerly, and pressed in between liei- au<l the flock, intent on cutting off the 

 retreat, only to find upon looking about that the cunning motlier had luade a 

 wide circuit around us and was urging her brood u]-) the lake again at a head- 

 long speed. Finally, when thoroly tired out, after a three mile chase, the 

 ducklings took to shore and hid successfully in tlie loose rubble of the beach 

 without the aid of a scrap of vegetation, and near water so clear that a nio\-e- 

 ment could ba\"e lieen detected at a de])th of a hundred and hftv feet. 



Not content with this baffling experience I tried again, and single-handed, 

 ten }'ears later, when a female Merganser with a dozen ducklings — mere 

 down-balls, not oi'cr two days old — was sighted in the same waters. It looked 

 so eas}', anfl the photograph was to ha\'e graced this very page. Mother Red- 

 breast had begun to cackle apprehensi\-ely before she knew herself clisco\-ered. 

 When the battle was on she pla}-ed for open water, but I headed off the retreat, 

 being possibly a little better at the oars than the infants at the paddles on a 

 straightaway course. Twice the mother bird played dead, but usualh- she 

 kept close to the chicks and only urged the extreme onpaddling flight when 

 necessar}-. At ])lain swimming the birds were poor, but at fluttering over the 

 water they certainly were great, for babies. Finally I did succeed in separat- 



