404 Mamtal of the Game Birds of India. 



species, and not a Goosander. It was 

 an immature bird, and the determination 

 of these birds, when young, was not such 

 an easy matter some years ago as it is now. 



The Red-breasted Merganser ranges all 

 over the northern hemisphere, being found 

 in summer from the 50th degree of north 

 latitude up to, and within, the Arctic 

 circle. In winter it is found in Southern 

 Europe, and a considerable portion of 

 Southern Asia from the Black and 

 Caspian Seas to China and Japan, and 

 it occurs at this season in the greater part 

 of the United States of America. 



The Red-breasted Merganser at the 

 breeding season frequents fresh-water lakes 

 and rivers which are not very distant from 

 the sea ; but at other times it is essentially 

 a salt-water bird, being almost invariably 

 found on the sea-coast and in the estuaries 

 of rivers. It prefers those parts of the 

 coast which are rocky. 



This species is not usually seen in large 

 flocks, except in winter. At other times 

 it is found in small companies, or even 

 in couples. Its habits do not differ in 

 any important respect from those of the 

 Goosander, but, being a sea-coast bird, 

 it appears to find a good deal of its food 

 among the sea-weed. As a rule the flesh 



