The Mergansers. 397 



bird to European writers. Mr. Robert 

 Read, writing to Dr. Sharpe, says : " A 

 nest which I found in Perthshire was 

 in the head of a hollow wych-elm in a 

 steep wood sloping down to a large fresh- 

 water loch. It contained twelve eggs of 

 a buffish tint, the last laid being much 

 paler than the others. It consisted simply 

 of a mass of down of a pale lavender- 

 colour, almost white, with which was 

 mixed up a lot of chips and fine particles 

 of rotten wood." 



Mr. Seebohm writes : " The favourite 

 nesting-place of the Goosander is in a 

 hollow tree-trunk ; but in localities where 

 such sites are not plentiful, it shows con- 

 siderable fertility of resource and capa- 

 bility of adaptation to circumstances in 

 choosing the best substitute. On these 

 occasions, however, it often displays more 

 wit than wisdom. As the House-Martin 

 has discovered that under the eaves of 

 a roof a better shelter for its nest is to 

 be found than under an overhanging cliff, 

 so the Goosander immediately avails itself 

 of the wooden boxes which the Finns 

 fasten up in the trees to tempt them, 

 These boxes, or " holkar," are made with 

 a trap-door behind, so that the peasant 

 may daily rob the nest, and thus make 



