RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 413 



you have good luck you may get one bird, and 

 then back into the blind to try for more. 



For two or three hours in the morning fair 

 sport may be had over decoys, but when the sun 

 is fairly on his daily round the birds are mostly 

 on their feeding grounds and not moving much, 

 so that few come near the 'Holers." Now is 

 the time to ''scull" them in the float. It is no 

 easy matter to get within killing distance of a 

 Shelldrake even in the innocent looking "gun- 

 ning punt," for he is by no means careless or 

 stupid. For my own part I think the labor is 

 too severe and the reward too uncertain, and 

 seldom take the trouble to pursue them in a 

 float, no matter how sharp an attack of "gun 

 fever" is upon me. "The game is hardly 

 worth the candle." 



The flesh of this or any other of the family 

 save the Hooded Merganser is not noted for any 

 especial excellence as food, most people pre- 

 ferring to eat fish in its ordinary form. 



The Red-breasted Merganser is smaller than 

 the Goosander and has a pronounced crest, 

 which, though thin and flimsy in the female, is 

 present in both sexes. The male bird's head is 



