THE MERGANSERS. 149 



It was formerly called, from its extraordinary manner of 

 paddling and splashing upon the water, race-horse, but is now 

 named, much more appropriately, steamer. Its wings are too 

 small and weak to allow of flight, but by their aid, partly 

 swimming and partly flapping the surface of the water, it moves 

 very quickly. The manner is something like that by which the 

 common house duck escapes when pursued by a dog ; but Mr. 

 Darwin, who often watched the bird, is nearly sure that the 

 steamer moves its wings alternately, instead of both together, as 

 in other birds. These clumsy logger-headed ducks make such 

 a noise and splashing, that the effect is exceedingly curious. 

 It is able to dive only a very short distance. It feeds entirely 

 on shell-fish from the kelp and tidal rocks ; and hence its beak 

 and head, which it uses for the purpose of breaking them, are 

 so surprisingly heavy and strong, that they can scarcely be 

 fractured with a hammer. 



Another remarkable inhabitant of the southern hemisphere is 

 the Eock Goose, {Anas antarctica,) which exclusively inhabits 

 rocky shores, and is often met with on the Falkland Islands, 

 and on the west coast of America, as far north as Chili. In the 

 deep and retired channels of Tierra del Fuego, the snow-white 

 gander, invariably accompanied by his darker consort, and 

 standing close by each other on some distant rocky point, is a 

 common feature in the landscape. 



The Mergansers differ chiefly from the sea-ducks, whom they 

 otherwise closely resemble both in outward form and mode of 

 life, by their comparatively long and slender bill, furnished 

 with serrated edges and hooked at the extremity. All 

 the British species are adorned with crests, or a tuft of 

 long feathers, at the back of the 

 head. The red-breasted merganser 

 is a beautiful bird, painted with a 

 variety of gay colours. " The head 

 and throat are of a rich shining green, 

 the neck white, except a narrow dark 



line behind j at either side before the Red _ ^.^ IA , f , ;c 

 wings are numerous large white 



feathers bordered by velvet-black ; the lower part of the neck 

 and breast is chestnut-brown, varied with dark streaks, and 



