BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 35 
when they bred in my own county, I found the young on the 
ponds and small grassy lakes as early as the first week in 
June, and as late as the last week of July, which warranted 
the presumption that they rear more than one brood each 
year. 
Their food consists of fish, mussels, and occasionally the 
stems and roots of aquatic vegetation. The flight of the Mer- 
gansers, or Shelldrakes, as they are more commonly called in 
this country, is not very unlike that of the Mallard, yet easily 
distinguished by experienced sportsmen at a considerable dis- 
tance. Although they have become quite rare in the southern 
they are more readily found in the northern portions of the 
State, where there are extensive are as yet wild enough to 
meet all the requirements for their food and reproduction. 
They linger in small family flocks in autumn as late as an 
abundant supply of food is obtainable, and move away south- 
ward in the night. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Feathers of the forehead extending on the bill in an acute 
angle for half the distance between those on the sides and 
nostrils; outline of those on the sides nearly vertical, and 
reaching but little beyond the beginning of the lower edge of 
the bill, but as far as those on the side of the lower jaw; nos- 
trils large, far forward, their middle opposite the middle of’ 
the commissure. Head and neck green; fore part of back 
black; beneath salmon color; wings mostly white, crossed by 
one band of black; sides faintly barred transversely. 
Length, 26.50; wing, 11; tarsus 1.85; commissure, 2.90. 
Habitat, North America generally. 
‘MERGANSER SERRATOR (L.). (130.) 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 
This’ Merganser cannot be regarded as a common resident, 
yet I have found it breeding within a few miles of both Minne- 
apolis and St. Paul, and it is known to do so in several localities 
to the west of our great timber belt, as in the vicinity of some 
small lakes embraced in that forest. They arrive with the 
earlier game ducks, and are frequently shot under the sup- 
position that they belong to that class. As with the other 
species of local ducks, they do not continue long in flocks, but 
shortly pair off and resort to the more favorable sections for 
breeding, where they build large, bulky nests on the ground. 
The nests consist first of rushes, reeds, coarse weeds and 
