^°^i9i'2^'^] Strong, Red-breasted Merganser. 481 



This species was found by Audubon and also by Dawson and 

 Bowles ^ to prefer the vicinity of fresh water for its nesting place. 



The number of eggs in a set is stated somewhat differently by 

 various writers. Thus Audubon found frequently six to eight 

 €ggs but never more than ten in a nest. Wilson and Bonaparte^ 

 mention eight to thirteen eggs. A female with eleven young was 

 seen by Osgood ^ in Alaska. The writer's notes include the fol- 

 lowing records of the number of eggs in nests where there was evi- 

 dence that the sets were complete : 



One nest contained seven eggs. 



Four contained nine eggs. 



Two contained ten eggs. 



According to a number of authors, the female alone incubates 

 the eggs and rears the young. The writer's limited observations, 

 support this view. No males were observed by the writer about 

 the nests, but they were seen in small flocks in the immediate 

 vicinity, and they sometimes flew near. It was not possible to 

 learn whether they were interested in the nests or not. Maynard * 

 states that males were not seen during the brooding period, but 

 "later when the downy young were swimming in the neighboring 

 ponds both parents birds were present and exhibited considerable 

 solicitude, flying distractedly about, often swimming within a few 

 yards of me." 



Though the writer spent several days in the vicinity of a number 

 of nests after the eggs were due to hatch, the young were never 

 seen at close range away from the nest except in one case when only 

 the female was in view. Two nests were found with young just 

 hatched and with eggs hatching. These will be discussed later 

 in this article. Broken shells were found but the young mergansers 

 were usually not to be seen, and they were presumably hidden in 

 the underbrush. 



If the brooding female had not already left the nest before the 



1 Dawson, W. S. and Bowles, J. H. The Birds of Washington. Vol. II, pp. 

 760-762. 



2 Wilson, A. and Bonaparte, C. L. American Ornithology or the Natural 

 History of the Birds of The United States. 1877. 



3 Osgood, W. H. A Biological Reconaissance of the Base of the Alaska Penin- 

 sula. North American Fauna. No. 24, p. 55. 



* Maynard, C. J. The Birds of Eastern North America, pp. 461-462. 1881. 



