352 MERGANSERS 



the sea coasts. The term "sheldrake" has no reference to shells or 

 molluscs, but means a drake dappled or spotted with white. These 

 rapacious, fish-devouring ducks are not popular with fishermen, as they 

 destroy countless millions of fish annually. Many of the fish that they 

 feed upon, however, are themselves predatory and their destruction 

 serves to help preserve the balance of nature. Nevertheless there is no 

 doubt that the toll these ducks levy on game fish such as trout, salmon, 

 bass and muskellunge is very heavy. Both the male and the female are 

 strikingly beautiful birds and present a handsome appearance as they 

 sit upon the water with the sunlight flashing on the gorgeous colours 

 of their shining bodies. This merganser is unique among the ducks 

 of this continent in that it is the only species the female of which is 

 crested while the male is not. As table birds they are generally con- 

 sidered worthless, their predominantly fish diet imparting a strong 

 flavour to their flesh. 



Dr. Harrison F. Lewis kindly furnished the author with the follow- 

 ing account of the economic status of the mergansers. "Whether this 

 bird and the Red-breasted Merganser should be treated as harmful, 

 neutral, or beneficial is one of those difficult questions that affords oppor- 

 tunity for never-ending discussion and marked difference of opinion. 

 The objection to these birds comes chiefly from anglers and fish-cul- 

 turists, who are often inclined to consider that the matter is settled by 

 the evident fact that mergansers eat a good many trout. The angler 

 wants the trout, including those that the merganser catches, so the angler 

 dislikes the merganser and seeks its destruction. That is natural and 

 simple. Unfortunately it is more simple than the actual situation. 



"The first step that should be taken in dealing with any such ques- 

 tion is a searching, accurate inquiry into the facts. This, to be effective, 

 should be carried on by trained specialists, for some of the important 

 facts are generally concealed and difficult to discover. The next step 

 is sound reasoning from the facts obtained. Practically every man feels 

 that his mental powers are fully equal to this task. 



"There has not yet been nearly enough careful fact-finding about 

 merganser, but there have been some excellent local investigations. The 

 principal results are as follows: (a) Mergansers live chiefly on aquatic 

 animal life, such as small fish, fish-eggs, insects, and Crustacea, (b) 

 They feed in both fresh and salt water and tend to take the food-forms 

 most readily available in any locality, (c) In some localities they take 

 no game fish; in others they take both game fish and predatory fish; in 

 others they take only game fish. They are often very destructive to 

 massed game fish in the rearing ponds at hatcheries. 



"While conclusions to be drawn vary in detail from place to place, 

 the following may, generally speaking, be considered warranted: (a) 

 Where mergansers take no game fish it is difficult to show that they 

 harm the interests of the angler, (b) Where mergansers take both 

 game fish and predatory fish, their consumption of the latter may offset, 



