120 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



day that left marks of their attempts to clear the sand for twenty-nine yards. 

 In alighting in the water they splash for some distance before the impetus is 

 lost. When resting on the beach, their breasts are flat on the sand and they 

 walk like any Duck, but in sitting up, their position at times is semi-upright like 

 that of an Auk. 



During the courting season they often forget for hours together to dive for 

 food and their movements are interesting as they chase each other with wings 

 slightly spread, making the water boil ; at other times their wings are close to 

 the sides, and the advance is made entirely by the feet. When the female is 

 hard pressed she dives and is at once followed by her lover ; what gallantries go 

 on under water, no one can tell. The males often chase each other with much 

 display of white in wings and foam, and gallantly raised green crests. They 

 often stand up in the water and flap their wings, and at times stretch up their 

 heads, opening and shutting the long red bills. They also turn over on their 

 backs to preen their breasts. 



Their flight is swift, noiseless, and direct, with long bills and necks 

 stretched out in front and the white secondaries very prominent, and, as they 

 pass overhead, the red ring on the male's breast is seen. This and the crest 

 remind one of the Belted Kingfisher. They generally fly rather high. When 

 flying in pairs, the female often precedes, but this is not always the case. 



When the birds are riding the water, the white of the wing is only slightly 

 visible in the females and immature birds, but is very noticeable in the adult 

 males. Unless the nuptial moult is very late in some individuals, it must take 

 more than one year for the full, green-headed plumage of the adult to be 

 reached, for during April and May, male birds are shot whose plumage is still 

 immature with the exception of a few greenish black feathers about the other- 

 wise brown head. 



The Red-breasted Merganser in adult male plumage is distinguished from 

 the American Merganser by his slightly smaller size, by his crest, and by the 

 reddish ring of the upper breast. The differences in the females and immature 

 have already been considered. Mergansers in flight are easily distinguished 

 from Golden-eyes, White-winged Scoters, and other Ducks with white on the 

 wings, by their long bills and necks and narrow heads stretched out straight in 

 front. 



