2 
DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 221 
water, but often flaps along the surface for several 
yards before that is accomplished. 
The Red-breasted Merganser breeds in May, the 
eggs being laid during the latter half of that month, 
and the first half of June. Although not gregarious 
during this period, it is, at any rate, social, for 
several pairs may be found nesting very close 
together, if keeping somewhat to themselves. An 
island is always preferred to the mainland. The 
nest is placed under a rock or bank, in a rabbit 
burrow, or amongst dense heather and gorse at no 
great distance from the water. In many cases the 
eggs are laid upon the bare ground, in others a few 
dry vegetable fragments are collected into a slight 
hollow, but a plentiful bed of down gradually 
acccumulates around them. From eight to twelve 
olive-gray eggs are laid, upon which the female 
alone sits. The male, however, is in attendance on 
the water near by, and the duck joins him there 
during the short periods that she leaves her charge 
to feed and to bathe. If alarmed, the hen bird 
slips off very quietly. When the young are hatched 
the drake retires to moult, and the female brings 
them up unaided. Outside our islands this Mer- 
ganser is widely distributed over the northern parts 
of Europe, Asia, and America, drawing southwards 
in winter. | 
GOOSANDER. 
As this beautiful Duck, the Wergus merganser 
of ornithologists, not only occurs in some numbers 
