THE NASHVILLE WARBLER. 413 



black edge, speculum, stripes in the tertiaries, and under 

 parts, white; sides, dark chestnut, finely penciled with 

 black; iris, yellow. The female, somewhat smaller, has 

 the head and nefck brown; upper parts blackish-brown, 

 many of the feathers being edged with lighter; the small spec- 

 ulum and under parts, white. The young are brown; and as 

 they swim, their motion is so rapid that "their pink 

 feet are like swiftly-revolving wheels placed a little in the 

 rear," "and the water is beaten into spray behind them." 



In habit, as well as in the structure of its serrated bill, 

 this bird is a genuine Merganser. It is an expert diver, and 

 feeds principally on fish. It is partial to fresh waters, and 

 therefore is rather rare on the Atlantic Coast, while it is 

 abundant on the fresh waters "in the interior of Florida in 

 winter, common on our lakes and streams in migration, and 

 very abundant on the great water-courses of the northwest. 

 In winter it has about the range of the preceding, and it 

 breeds more or less from the Southern States northward into 

 the fur countries. 



Its nest is in holes in trees, after the manner of the Wood 

 Duck, and is similarly composed. The 6-10 eggs, about 

 2.12 X 1.V2, are smooth, rather spherical, and of a creamy 

 white color. This species breeds abundantly in some of 

 the Western States in the vicinity of the Mississippi. The 

 flight of this bird is so swift that it is very difficult to 

 shoot it on the wing, and it has occasionally been found 

 in Europe. 



THE NASHVILLE WARBLER. 



About four miles and a half east of Little Current is 

 Strawberry Island, comprising about three thousand acres. 

 Having heard that certain Ducks breed there in the marshes, 

 I make an excursion thither on the Vth of June. Scrambling 

 along the edge of a marsh, where the thickly strewn wind- 



