AMERICAN MERGANSER 355 



their bills, and I have seen two splendid drakes rise up in the water 

 breast to breast, and, amid a great splashing, during which it was im- 

 possible to see details, fight like gamecocks. The pursuit is varied by 

 sudden, momentary dives and much splashing of water. 



The smooth, iridescent green heads, the brilliant carmine bills, the 

 snowy white of flanks and the red feet make a wonderful colour effect. 

 The delicate salmon-yellow tint of the breast is a coloration of which 

 the male is deservedly proud. He frequently raises himself up almost 

 on his tail and reveals this colour, in the same way that the eider dis- 

 plays his jet-black shield. Most of the time he keeps his tail cocked up 

 and spread, so that it shows from behind a white centre and blue border. 

 Now he points his bill up to the zenith, again he bows or bobs his head 

 nervously, and from time to time he emits a quickly repeated purring 

 note, dorr-dorr or krr-krr. The most surpising part of the performance 

 is the spurt of water fully three or four feet long which every now and 

 then is sent backward into the air by the powerful kick of the drake's 

 foot. 



During all this time the female swims about unconcernedly, merely 

 keeping out of the way of the ardent and belligerent males. At last, 

 however, she succumbs to the captivating display and submerges herself 

 so that only a small part of her body with a bit of the crest appear above 

 the water. In this position she swims slowly beside or after her mate, 

 sometimes even touching him with her bill. Later she remains motion- 

 less, flattens herself still more, the crest disappearing and she sinks so 

 that only a line like that made by a board floating on the water is seen. 

 The drake slowly swims around her several times, twitching his head 

 and neck, picking at the water, his own feathers and at the female be- 

 fore he mounts and completely submerges her holding tightly to her 

 neck with his bill. Then she bathes herself, washes the water vigorously 

 through her feathers and flaps her wings; the drake stretches himself 

 and flaps his wings likewise. From the beginning of submergence by 

 the female the process is the same in all the duck family that he (Town- 

 send) observed. 



For a long time there was a diversity of opinion as to whether the 

 American Merganser nested in trees or on the ground. As a matter 

 of fact it does both. In localities where suitable sites off the ground, such 

 as holes in trees or cliffs are to be found, it will choose and apparently 

 prefer such places, but where these are not available it will build its nest 

 on the ground. The number of eggs varies from 6 to 17 but is usually 

 between 9 and 12, the average size being 2.53 by 1.77 inches. The eggs 

 are very pale buff or ivory yellow in colour and the shell is exceptionally 

 thick and strong. Incubation requires 28 days and is performed by the 

 female alone; the males desert the females at this time, leaving 

 family cares entirely to the mother. 



While it has been reported that the young of the tree-nesting ducks 

 are transported to the ground by the mother, in her bill, between her feet 

 or on her back, the method that has been witnessed and carefully re- 



