THE REDBREASTED-MERGANSER 303 



The breeding habits of this species have already been treated of 

 in the " Classified Notes," but it should be observed that it is much 

 later in its breeding season than the goosander, and there seems to 

 be no really satisfactory evidence that it ever builds in hollow trees, 

 though it has been stated to breed in old crows' nests in Holstein. 

 Probably the supposed instances of breeding in trees are due to 

 confusion with the goosander, for the females of the two species are 

 by no means easy to distinguish unless the distinguishing marks are 

 looked for. 1 Another curious point is the great dissimilarity between 

 the downs of two such closely allied species, while the eggs also differ 

 widely in appearance. Both birds will often return to the same spot 

 year after year for breeding purposes when undisturbed. The late 

 H. A. Macpherson refers to a cairn which was reported to have been 

 occupied for fifty years. When incubation has been in progress for 

 some time, the duck sits very closely, and can often be captured by 

 hand on the nest. 



The drake does not appear to desert his mate so completely as 

 the goosander after incubation has begun, but may frequently be 

 observed not far from the nest. He does not appear to take any part 

 in the care of the young, which are exceedingly hardy. Sir R. Payne- 

 Gallwey says that when the young are about ten days old, the duck 

 pilots them down stream to salt water. On reaching broken water, 

 if all is quiet, she will land and walk with her ducklings past the 

 waves, taking to the water again below the rapids, but if alarmed old 

 and young will come headlong down, the young often turning head- 

 over-heels on the way. 2 On one occasion he saw a whole brood come 

 tumbling over a perpendicular fall, at least twelve feet high. One of 

 the young was caught in an eddy and unable to escape, but when 

 released nearly an hour afterwards, the old merganser was discovered 

 sitting on a stone not a dozen yards away. It was evident that she 



1 The chin and throat of the female goosander is white, while the corresponding parts of 

 the duck merganser are reddish. The head of the duck goosander is also lighter and the back 

 ashy grey. The merganser is also a decidedly smaller bird. 



2 Letters to Young Shooters, Third Series, p. 186. 



