AMERICAN MERGANSER 23 



seemed to be conferring, and then tliey rose and went 

 off, at first low, down-stream, soon up-stream a hundred 

 feet over the pond, the female leading, the male follow- 

 ing close behind, the black at the end of his curved 

 wings very conspicuous. I suspect that about all the 

 conspicuous white ducks I see are goosanders. 



I skinned my duck yesterday and stuffed it to-day. 

 It is wonderful that a man, having undertaken such an 

 enterprise, ever persevered in it to the end, and equally 

 wonderful that he succeeded. To skin a bird, drawing 

 backward, wrong side out, over the legs and wings 

 down to the base of the mandibles ! Who would expect 

 to see a smooth feather again? This skin was very ten- 

 der on the breast. I should have done better had I 

 stuffed it at once or turned it back before the skin be- 

 came stiff. Look out not to cut the ear and eyelid. 



But what a pot-bellied thing is a stuffed bird com- 

 pared even with the fresh dead one I found! It looks 

 no longer like an otter, like a swift diver, but a mere 

 waddling duck. How perfectly the vent of a bird is 

 covered ! There is no mark externally. 



April 10, 1855. I see afar, more than one hundred 

 rods distant, sailing on Hubbard's meadow, on the 

 smooth water in the morning sun, conspicuous, two 

 male sheldrakes and apparently one female. They glide 

 along, a rod or two apart in shallow water, alternately 

 passing one another and from time to time plunging 

 their heads in the water, but the female (whom only 

 the glass reveals) almost alone diving. I think I saw one 

 male drive the other back. One male with the female 

 kept nearly together, a rod or two ahead of the other. 



