RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 155 
the edge of the ebbing tide. On December 16th, 1900, I lay 
concealed in a drain cn one of the ooze-flats of the Dublin 
coast, watching the movements of hundreds of wading-birds. 
Presently a fine adult male Merganser alighted in a rough 
and muddy salt-water channel, some thirty yards from 
where I was crouching. The bird, not perceiving me, 
slowly moved in the water apparently swimming, but in an 
erect posture with its body almost completely visible above 
the surface. Now and then it plunged its head under 
water and appeared to capture something, but in this 
position it did not attempt to dive. When ‘tmid-stream was 
almost reached it lowered its body and swam in the ordinary 
way. Then it made three frantic efforts to dive, and, after 
much splashing and floundering about, was barely able to 
submerge its body. Eventually, after a lapse of about 
a quarter of an hour, it took wing and, rising high, flew 
out to sea. Leaving my place of ‘ambush I proceeded to 
the edge of the channel. The water being muddy I could 
not see the bottom, but on measuring with a piece of stick 
I found that it was but a few inches in depth. It is 
therefore obvious that the bird was wading in the water 
in the erect posture for most of the time, and though a 
sufficient depth was reached at mid-stream to allow it to 
swim, even then, the channel was too shallow for diving 
purposes. ‘To these observations I attach importance, as 
I have often, on previous occasions, noticed Mergansers 
standing about the edge of shallow channels, and it is 
evident that they fish occasionally by wading and plunging 
their heads under water after the manner of Herons; it 
may be added that the channel in question abounded in 
small sand-dabs, eels, and other fishes. 
Food.—The Red-breasted Merganser is almost exclu- 
sively piscivorous and is destructive in the nesting-season 
to small salmon and trout. It plunges under water like a 
Cormorant and swiftly pursues its finny prey. As evidence 
of its indifference to vegetable diet, it is noteworthy that 
this bird often breeds round inland waters quite void of 
aquatic vegetation, and where rough stones and gravel 
line the beach and floor of the lake. 
Flight.—The Merganser is swift and powerful on the 
wing, and may be seen frequently crossing bays and 
estuaries at a considerable height in the air. 
Voice.—The voice is harsh and euttural, and resembles 
the syllables, kurr-kurr-kurr. 
