RED-BREASTED MERGANBER. 178 
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 
Merevs serrator, Linn. 
Pl. XXVILI., fig. 4. 
Geogr. distr.—North Europe, Asia, and America in summer; North 
Africa, China and Southern N. America in winter: in Great Britain it 
occurs chiefly in autumn and winter, though it breeds not infrequently 
in certain parts of Scotland, and also in Ireland. 
Food.—Fish, Amphibians, and Crustacea. 
Nest.—Formed of fine grasses, twigs, and moss, matted together 
and mixed with down. 
Position of nest.—On the ground in quiet nooks, amongst bushes 
or rank vegetation, or in the hollow of a tree. 
Number of eggs.—8-12. 
Time of nidification.—VI. 
In Mr. Booth’s ‘Rough Notes,’ we read that ‘‘ These 
birds for the most part resort to the open sea, though when 
undisturbed they not infrequently make their way to the 
small pools of brackish water inside the sea-beach, and 
occasionally proceed some distance up the rivers. The 
nest is usually carefully concealed beneath an overhanging 
slab of rock, or in some slight cavity in a heathery bank ; at 
times, on the shores of inland lochs, I have seen them well 
hidden among thick bushes and shrubs, or under the stem 
of some rugged and weather-beaten tree. The eggs, most 
frequently from eight to ten in number, are warmly covered 
with the grey down from the breast of the female. The 
outer portion of the nest is composed of dried strands of 
coarse grass, with occasionally a few small heather stalks.” 
—(Part V.) 
Mr. Harting says that this species ‘‘is a native of nearly 
all the lakes of any importance north of Loch Lomond ; it 
is likewise numerously distributed throughout the Long 
Island, where it appears to be permanently resident, 
breeding in South Uist, North Uist, Benbecula, the islands 
in the Sound of Harris and Lewis. Within the circle of 
the inner islands it is found breeding on rocky islets off 
Skye, Islay, Jura, Colonsay, and Tyree. In Orkney the 
Merganser continues the whole year, and may be seen 
every day in numbers on the lakes and in the sea.” Mr. 
Harting adds that it breeds in Shetland and on various 
islands and lakes of Ireland,” 
