HOODED MERGANSER. 389 



the bird, when its strength is almost exhausted, immerses 

 its body, raises the point of its bill above the surface, and 

 in this manner makes its way among the plants, until find- 

 ing some safe retreat along the shore, it betakes itself to it, 

 and there remains, so that you may search for it in vain, 

 unless you have a good dog. Even on wing it is not 

 easily shot. If on a creek ever so narrow, it will fly di- 

 rectly towards its mouth, although you may be standing 

 knee deep in the middle. It comes up like a ball, rises 

 and passes over head with astonishing speed, and if you 

 shoot at it do not calculate upon a hit. You may guess 

 how many one may shoot in a day." 



" Like all the rest of the tribe, which, when far north, 

 for the want of hollow trees, breed on the moss or ground, 

 the Hooded Mergansers that remain with us nestle in the 

 same kind of holes or hollows as the Wood Ducks; at 

 least I have found their nests in such situations seven 

 or eight times, although I never saw one of them alight on 

 the branch of a tree, as the birds just mentioned are wont 

 to do. They dive, as it were, directly into their wooden 

 burrows, where, on a few dried weeds and feathers of dif- 

 ferent kinds, with a small quantity of down from the breast 

 of the female, the eggs are deposited. They are from five 

 to eight, of a buff colour, measuring one inch and three- 

 fourths, by one inch and three-eighths, and in other re- 

 spects perfectly resemble those of the Red-breasted Mer- 

 ganser. The eggs are laid in May, and are hatched some 

 time in June. The young, like those of the Wood Duck, 

 are conveyed to the water by their mother, who carries 

 them gently in her bill ; for the male takes no part in 

 providing for his offspring, but abandons his mate as soon 

 as incubation has commenced. The affectionate mother 

 leads her young among the tall rank grasses which fill the 

 shallow pools, or the borders of creeks, and teaches them 



