RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 375 



nest is composed of seaweed, dry grass, and heather ; 

 and, when all the eggs have been laid, contains a large 

 quantity of the valuable and much sought after Eider- 

 down. " By judiciously removing the eggs and down 

 from the nests, the birds are made to lay again and 

 furnish a fresh supply of the precious down. Each 

 Duck yields about four ounces of down, which, when 

 cleaned, is worth about a sovereign a pound." 



The eggs are from five to eight in number, of a light- 

 green or greyish-green colour. The plumage of this 

 bird is very handsome. It might roughly be described 

 as having the upper parts white, tinged with yellow 

 in parts, and the under parts black ; the forehead and 

 crown are also black. 



This bird can easily be rendered reconciled to 

 captivity. 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 



MERGUS SERRATOR. 



Family Anatid^. Genus Mergus. 



Red-breasted Goosander, 



This bird is a winter visitor, but in the north of 

 Scotland and Ireland many birds remain throughout 

 the year and breed. 



The haunts of this bird are the quiet and secluded 

 rocky coasts, where calm and smooth bays and creeks 

 abound. It dives and swims under water, often remain- 

 ing beneath the surface for as long a space as two 

 minutes. Its food is obtained in the water, and consists 

 chiefly of small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc. Meyer 



