488 Strong, Red-breasted Merganser. Loct. 



Audubon ^ states that the males are not fully developed until 

 the second year. 



The voice of the adult bird is described by Morris ^ as consisting 

 of a note " curr, curr." The following is taken from Nelson's^ 

 account "The old bird marshalled her brood to the farther side 

 of the pond as I drew near, uttering frequently a low, distinct, but 

 husky, kha-kha." The writer has already noted on p. 4 of this 

 article a resemblance in the voice to that of the domestic duck. 



A pair of adult Red-breasted Mergansers with five downy young 

 are figured, natural-size, in one large colored plate by Gould .^ 

 The colors are fair, but the positions and the grouping are artificial. 



The Red-breasted Merganser usually appears in the region of 

 Chicago in March or early April, though it is reported as sometimes 

 spending the winter in the vicinity. Flocks occur in the lagoons of 

 Jackson Park until early May, and individuals sometimes linger 

 through a large portion of May. It seems probable that nesting 

 does not begin until early June. 



' Audubon, J. J. Ornithological Biography. 



2 Morris, F. O. A History of British Birds. 



3 Nelson, E. W. Report upon Natural History Collections Made in Alaska 

 between the Years 1877 and 1881. No. III. Arctic Series. U. S. Army Signal 

 Service, p. 67. 



« Gould. J. The Birds of Great Britain. Vol. V. 



