342 Townsend, Courtship of the Red-breasted Merganser. |_July 



when the birds were seen performing off the beach, but when, 

 owing to the distance and the roar of the surf, their nuptial song 

 had been inaudible. 



This song, emitted when the bill is opened, is a difficult one to 

 describe, but easily recognized when once heard, and remains long 

 in the memory after one has heard it repeated over and over again 

 by a number of Merganser suitors. It is a loud, rough and purring, 

 slightly double note which I wrote down da-ah, but the note is 

 probably insusceptible of expression by syllables. 



The bobbing and the love-note may be given twice in rapid 

 succession although at times the performance is a single one, or 

 may consist of an extensive bob, preceded by a slighter but 

 similar one. The performance is, however, repeated at frequent 

 or infrequent intervals, depending on the ardor and number of 

 the suitors, and, no doubt, on the attitude of the modestly dressed 

 lady. 



Although the female merganser may remain passive and coyly 

 indifferent, as is the habit of her sex, she sometimes responds by a 

 bobbing which is similar to that of the male, but of considerably 

 less range. That is to say the neck is not stretched so straight up, 

 and the breast is not so much depressed during the bob. She emits 

 a single note at this time, which is somewhat louder than that of 

 the male and is of a different quality as it is decidedly rasping. 

 As nearly as I can remember this note is similar to the rough 

 croaks I have heard given by these birds in Labrador when they 

 were flying to and from their nests. 



When the female responds in this manner she appears to be 

 very excited, and the ardor of the drakes is correspondingly in- 

 creased, if one may judge by the frequent repetition of the love 

 antics and notes, and by the fact that they crowd about the duck. 

 Every now and then she darts out her neck and dashes at the ring 

 of suitors, just as the female English Sparrow does under similar 

 circumstances. 



The bobbing up of the stern of the male is the more conspicuous 

 as the wings are then apparently slightly arched upwards, so that 

 the white secondary feathers are very prominent. These show at 

 all times as the male swims in the water, but in the female they are 

 generally but not always invisible. 



