DUCKS; GEESE, AND’ SWANS. 219 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 
This handsome sea-bird, the Mergus serrator of 
Linnzus and most modern ornithologists, is un- 
fortunately a winter visitor only to English waters. 
In Scotland and Ireland, however, it is one of the 
most familiar coast birds all the year round. The 
Red-breasted Merganser cannot readily be confused 
with any other Duck. The crested head and upper 
neck are black, shot with green and purple, the 
lower neck and upper breast are buff, streaked with 
black, the feathers on the sides of the breast having 
broad black margins, the flanks are strongly vermi- 
culated with black, the back is black, vermiculated 
with gray on the lower portions, the inner scapulars 
are black, the outer ones white, the speculum is 
white, barred with black, and the underparts (except 
the flanks) are white. The female has the head 
and neck reddish-brown, and the upper parts brown, 
the black-bordered feathers on the sides of the 
breast are absent. Although found in many inland 
districts, the favourite resorts of the Red-breasted 
Merganser are wild, rocky coasts, such as contain 
plenty of quiet bays and creeks, and lochs studded 
with islands. Waters where the bottom is sandy 
or rocky, are preferred to those in which it is 
composed of mud. Many birds of this species 
visit our coasts for the winter from more northern 
haunts, whilst some of those dwelling in Scottish 
waters draw southwards at that season. This 
