196 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 



land. Like most of our ducks, it breeds in the Far North, 

 and returns to us only for the winter. It is a deep and per- 

 sistent diver, and it is said that when wounded and pursued 

 it will sometimes dive to the bottom, even fifty feet if neces- 

 sary, seize a bunch of grass or weeds with its bill and hold on 

 until it has quite drowned. Its food consists of fish, crus- 

 taceans and mollusks. 



The Red-Breasted Merganser^ bravely and hand- 

 somely represents what is structurally the lowest group of 

 ducks, known as the Mer-gan'sers, embracing three species. 

 The bill of this bird is long, narrow and set along the edges 

 with lamellae that look quite like sharp teeth — a most ad- 

 mirable arrangement for seizing fish under water. The bill 

 of a Merganser always reminds me of two things: the jaws of' 

 the gavial, or Gangetic crocodile, and Professor Marsh's 

 toothed bird, the Hes-per-or'nis, from the great extinct in- 

 land sea of the middle West. One of the common names of 

 this bird is the Saw-Bill; and it is peculiarly appropriate. 

 Among other ducks this fine bird has the bold, confident air 

 of a born freebooter. The back of its head is ornamented 

 with several long feathers which form a crest, like the war- 

 bonnet of a Sioux Indian. The whole head and upper neck 

 are black, with green and purple reflections. Around the 

 middle of the neck is a conspicuous white collar, and under 

 that is the pale rusty-red breast, streaked with black, which 

 gives the bird its name. 



This sea-going bird-craft is at home — under many names 

 — in both the Old World and the New. On our continent it 



1 Mer-gan'ser ser-ra'tor. Average length, 22 inches. 



