82 GAME BIEDS OF CALIFORNIA 



field party from the California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology indi- 

 cates the breeding of this bird in small numbers in the same general 

 locality, namely, on the upper Kern River, in Tulare County. Ac- 

 cording to Wilder (1916, p. 127), this species is to be found at all 

 seasons on the rivers of Humboldt County. Young as yet unable to 

 fl}' have been observed there in summer. 



The courtship of the American Merganser as observed in Massa- 

 chusetts has been carefully described by C. W. Townsend (1916, pp. 

 10-12). The essential features are as follows: 



The courtsliip of the Merganser ... is fairly spectacular and differs widely 

 from that of its red-breasted cousin, M. serrator. ... A group of five or six 

 male Mergansers may be seen swimming energetically back and forth by three 

 or four passive females. Sometimes the drakes swim in a compact mass or in a 

 file for six or seven yards or even farther, and then each turns abruptly and 

 swims back. Again they swim in and out among each other, and every now 

 and then one with swelling breast and slightly raised wings spurts ahead at 

 great speed by himself or in the pursuit of a rival. . . . They frequently 

 strike at each other with their bills, and I have seen two splendid drakes rise 

 up in the water breast to breast, and, amid a great splashing, during which it 

 w^as impossible to see details, fight like game-cocks. The pursuit is varied by 

 sudden, momentary dives and much splashing of water. 



The smooth iridescent green heads, the brilliant carmine bills tipped with 

 black nails, the snowy white of flanks and wing patches and the red feet, which 

 flash out in the dive, make a wonderful color effect, contrasting well with the 

 dark water and white ice. The smaller females with their shaggy brown heads, 

 their neat white throat-bibs, their quaker bhie-gray backs and modest wing 

 patches, which are generally hidden, are fitting foils to their mates. The male 

 frequently raises himself up almost on his tail and displays the beautiful salmon 

 yellow tint on the whole under surface of his body. Most of the time he keeps 

 his tail cocked up and spread, so that it shows from behind a white centre and 

 blue border. Every now and then he points his head and closed bill up at an 

 angle of forty-five degrees or to the zenith. Again he bows or bobs his head 

 nervously and often at the same time tilts up the front of his breast from 

 which flashes out the salmon tint. From time to time he emits a quickly 

 repeated purring note, dorr-dorr or krr-Tcrr. 



The most surprising part of the performance is the spurt of water fully 

 three or four feet long which every now and then is sent backwards into the 

 air by the powerful kick of the drake's foot. . . . 



During all this time the female swims about unconcernedly, merely keeping 

 out of the way of the ardent and belligerent males, although she sometimes 

 joins in the dance and bobs in a mild way. At last she succumbs to the captivat- 

 ing display and submerges herself so that only a small part of her body with a 

 bit of the crest appear above the water, and she swims slowly beside or after 

 her mate, sometimes even touching him with her bill. Later she remains 

 motionless, flattens herself still more, the crest disappears and she sinks so that 

 only a line ... is seen. . . . The drake slowly swims around her several 

 times, twitches his head and neck, picks at the water, at his own feathers and 

 at her before he mounts and completely submerges her, holding tightly with 

 his bill to her neck meanwhile. Then she bathes herself, washes the water 

 vigorously through her feathers and flaps her wings; the drake stretches himself 

 and flaps his wings likewise. 



