324 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 



the east coast, but Coues, in 1860, was informed of a colony at Sloop 

 Harbor, just north of Hamilton Inlet. After the breeding season 

 the birds scatter and may be found in small numbers along the south- 

 ern coast. 



Merganser americanus (Cass.). 



American Merganser; Goosander. 



Rare summer resident in the interior. 



This merganser is not so fond of salt water as its red-breasted cousin, 

 and is rarely seen on the coast. Stearns, however, says that he has 

 "seen one. . . .taken near Fort Island" and Palmer says that "one 

 was seen at Mingan." Low says: "Common throughout the interior; 

 seen May 28th; eggs June 25th." He gives precisely the same record 

 for M. serrator. Macoun says that "Mr. A. P. Low found it breed- 

 ing on the shores of small lakes in Labrador; eggs were taken with 

 the bird from under small spruces on the upper part of the Hamilton 

 River, in the summer of 1896." As the habit of the American Mer- 

 ganser is to nest in a hole in a tree or cliff it seems reasonable to sup- 

 pose that M . serrator was confused with this species. 



Merganser serrator (Linn.). 



Red-breasted Merganser; "Shelldrake"; "Shell-bird." 



Common summer resident along the coast and in the interior; more 

 common transient visitor. 



Cartwright and Stearns both speak of this bird as the "Shell-bird." 

 It is widely distributed both in the interior and along the seacoast. 

 It breeds preferably on the shores of freshwater ponds and rivers. 

 Coues found nearly fresh eggs on July 4th, and Low records eggs 

 for June 25th. 



At Mary Harbor on St. Lewis Inlet we observed several of these 

 birds on July 12th and 13th flying back and forth from the salt water 

 to the pond-like expansions of the Mary River. It is probable that 

 they were breeding in the latter locality. They emitted a harsh 

 quacking croak as they flew. These were the only birds of this species 

 we saw in Labrador except one near Cartwright. 



Lophodytes cucullatus (Linn.). 

 Hooded Merganser. 

 Rare summer resident. 



