MERGUS SERhATOR. 



99 



than elsewhere, and breed iu holes of trees. I have never been fortunate enough to find 

 one of their nests but observed the downy young following their parents, in the Susque- 

 hanuji River late in June, A week or two after, I came upon two l)roods in the same 

 stream and succeeded in securing several specimens, but the task was not easily accom- 

 plished, for although I was provided with a boat and accompanied by an assistant, the birds 

 which were but about a quarter grown, managed to elude us for a long time. The adult 

 female was present and always kept herself between us and her young which not only swam 

 exceedingly fast but also dived with ease, remaining under water for some time; then if 

 hard pushed, would raise their wings and flap along the water after the manner practiced 

 by domestic Ducks under similar circumstances. 



MERGUS SERRATOR. 



Red-breasted Merganser. 



Merr/us serrator Ldjn., Syst. Nat., I, 1766, 20S. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, rather slender. Size, medium. Occipital feathers, lanceolate and elongated. Color. Adult, male. 

 Head and upper neck all around, black, glossed with greenish. Lower neck, wliite. .^buve, and on sides and Bank;, black 

 with the two last and posterior portion above, finely banded with white. Clreater wing coverts, secondaries, outer scapu- 

 laries, and under parts not described, white, the las* tinged with creamy. Two hands across white of wings and outer mar- 

 gin of upper secondaries, black. Iris, red, bill and feet, reddish-orange. Advit female. Head and upper neck all around, 

 reddish-brown, becoming dusky on crown. Upper portions, sides, and Hanks, bluish-ash, with edges of featheis, ligl-.ter. 

 Wings, brown, with secondaries and greater coverts, white, banded with brown. White beneath, tinged with dusky on tlie 

 breast. Younij. Similar to adult female. l^tstVmyx. Brown above, becoming reddish cm head, and markoilwith patches 

 id'wliit'; and there is a white line passing throu'^h eye. Beneath, white. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known in the adult stages by the redilish breast and small size, and the female uiny be di-^tingui-^hcil by the iiidistin<-t 

 line of demai'kation between the color of lower neck and remainder of body. Nestlings of this and following species, are 

 indistinguishable. Distributed, in summer, from Gulf of St. Lawrence, northward, wintering from Mas.sachusetts, south- 

 wan I. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimen.s from North America. Length, 21-63; stretch, 32 25; wing, B 85: tail, 3 95; bill, 

 2 21; tarsus, 1-70. Longest specimen, 23-25; greatest extent of wing, 33 00; longest wing, 9 ll); tail, 4 10 hill, 2 24; tinvus, 

 1 80. Shortest specimen, 21iil0; smallest extent of wing, 31-0(t; shortest wing, 8-0'l; tail, 3 HO; bill, 2' 18; tai-sus, 1-06. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EG(iS. 

 Ncsl.i, placed on the ground near water, composed of weeds, grass, feathers, etc. Ei/y.i, six to twelve in number, oval 

 in form, and greenish-brown in color. Dimensions from r70x2"50 to I"75x2'(i0. 



HABITS. 



I found the Red-breasted Mergansers breeding on the jNIagdalen Islands al)out tlie mid- 

 dle of June, 1872. The nests were placed beneath the overhanging branches of some 

 dw:irfed spruces, about fifteen or twenty yards from some small ponds of fresh water whicli 

 were, however, at no great distance from tlie shore. Tlie frees were only about four feef 

 high, flat in form, with the brandies long, and as the lowest were but ti luot from the ground, 

 the birds were completely concealed. They also sit closely, not rising until nearly trod' 

 den upon, and therefore their eggs were not easy to find. Wiien disturbed, the female 

 ■would fly silently away, and I did not see the males at all; but a few weeks Later, when 

 tlie downy young were swimming in the neighboring ponds, both parent birds were pres- 

 ent and exhibited considerable solicitude, flying disfracfedly about, often coming within a 

 few yards of me. The Red-breasted Mergansers migrate southward in November, when 

 they are al)undant on our coast, feeding at such times, along the shores, and they are cs- 



