RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 391 



thick brush-wood, under the covert of a projecting rock, 

 and completely surrounded with nettles, long grasses, and 

 fern. It was carefully made of moss, plucked from the 

 adjoining rocks, mixed with the down of the bird ; both in 

 structure and materials resembling that of the Eider 

 Duck. It contained nine eggs, of a rich reddish-yellow, or 

 fawn colour. The bird was remarkably tame, sitting until 

 nearly taken with a small hand-net. Sir W. Jardine 

 very kindly sent me one of these eggs for my collection ; 

 it measured two inches and a half in length, and one inch 

 and three quarters in breadth. The male leaves the 

 females as soon as incubation commences. Mr. J. Mac- 

 gillivray, who visited the outer Hebrides in the summer of 

 1840, says, that a few remain there during the breeding 

 season, and he took a nest with eggs on a small island 

 between Killigray and Ob, in the sound of Harris. Pen- 

 nant mentions that the Bed-breasted Merganser had been 

 found breeding at Loch Maree in Ross-shire ; and Mr. 

 Selby, when with a party exploring Sutherlandshire, 

 in June 1834, says it was very plentiful upon all the 

 lochs, but only a few at that time had commenced incuba- 

 tion. 



Mr. Robert Dunn, in his " Ornithologist's Guide to the 

 Islands of Orkney and Shetland," says, this wary bird is 

 very plentiful in both countries, and is a constant resident ; 

 it is extremely shy at all times. In the summer season the 

 male loses his beautiful plumage, and approaches in colour 

 to that of the female. This bird is seldom seen far from 

 land, but frequents the inlets and inland lakes. 



Mr. Hewitson, during his trip to the west coast of 

 Norway, observed that the Red-breasted Merganser was 

 frequent upon most of the lakes and rivers; the eggs 

 were laid under shelter, either upon their margins or their 



