260 DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS, AND PELICANS. 



bottom to seek their prey, and tliey will often travel to a consider- 

 able distance before tliey appear again on the surface. The 

 activity they display in pursuit of their prey is very great ; for, 

 in order to accelerate their speed in swimming, they make use of 

 their wings as well as of their feet. The Merganser is in the 

 habit of swallowing fish head first ; consequently, it often happens 

 that the remainder of the body of their prey is too bulky to be 

 easily gorged ; they are, however, very far from wishing to get 

 rid of this temporary inconvenience, but wait till it becomes 

 gradually absorbed. Sometimes the digestion of the fish's head 

 has already commenced in the bird's stomach whilst the tail is 

 still projecting from its bill. 



The flight of the Merganser is rapid and prolonged, without 

 reaching any great elevation. Their gait on land is awkward and 

 tottering. They generally inhabit temj^erate regions during the 

 winter, and in spring return to the high latitudes of both hemi- 

 spheres, which are their breeding-places. They lay from eight 

 to fourteen whitish-coloured eggs, either on the shore between 

 two large stones, or in thickets of grass on the edge of lakes and 

 rivers : occasionally a hollow in a tree is selected ; but it is in- 

 variably near water. Their nest is comj)osed of dry grass, sedges, 

 fibrous roots, and other similar materials, with a lining of down 

 plucked from the breast. 



The Merganser is a regular visitor, in winter, to our coasts and 

 inland lakes. It breeds in North Uist and others of the Outer 

 Hebrides. Its flesh is unedible except when young. 



The Smew. 



English Syt^onyms. — Smew : Montagu, Selby, Jenyns. Pied Smew : 

 McGillivray. White Nun : Selby. Pied Diver, Vane Widgeon. 



Latin Synonyms. — Mergus albellus : Linn., Latham, Jenyns, Bonaparte, 

 McGillivray. Mergus minutus : Young, Linn., Latham. 



Fkench Synonyms. — Harle Piette : Temminck. Harle Huppe : Buffon. 



Like its congeners, the Smew is a native of the northern regions 

 of both continents, retiring southward as the winter approaches, 

 and spreading in great numbers over Germany, France, and Italy 

 in October and November, and returning northward in April. 



