THE WILD FOWL OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 355 



The red-breasted merganser {Merganser serrator), locally known as the " Red- 

 breasted sawbill," breeds here, and is well known to sportsmen throughout the 

 entire region. This bird decoys easily. It subsists entirely on fish, and therefore 

 is no better for table use than its congener, the American merganser. 



Just here I am reminded of a recipe for cooking a merganser, which was 

 given me some years ago by one of our local guides, now deceased, who was so 

 good a camp cook that his "shore dinners" became widely celebrated and were 

 eagerly sought for by our summer visitors. He used to say: "I use the 'soup 

 stone' receipt." Further inquiry developed a little story, to this effect: A 

 "way down easter " decided to take a look at the "far west," which was at 

 that time limited by the Mississippi River. Being light in purse and withal 

 of a saving disposition, instead of putting money in his "scrip," he put a 

 smoothly polished oval stone of strange and variegated markings and colors 

 in its place, shouldered his knapsack, and set forth on his travels toward the 

 setting sun. 



Stopping at the old-time wayside taverns (hotels were not known in those days), 

 he readily, Yankee fashion, ingratiated himself, first with the landlord and his 

 family and then with the guests, with whom he skillfully broached such subjects 

 that a showing of the stone Avas necessary, by way of illustration. Of its virtues 

 he was at once secretive, yet eloquent and enthusiastic. Of course, there were 

 doubters; and the only thing that remained for our traveler to do to sustain 

 his reputation for truth and veracity was to submit to a trial of the virtues of 

 the stone then and there. 



To this he agreed; but he said: "Gentlemen, you must understand that the 

 virtoos of this stun are in its flavorin' and thickenin' qualities. It don't make 

 the hull soup of itself; there are other ingrejunts necessary, which, if I had, I 



would show you in " "Just name 'em," said the landlord, "and they will be 



forthcomin'." "A fryin' pan, some bilin' water, a pertater or two, a small ingun, 

 and a passnip ef handy; a slice or two of bread, and a spoonful or two of injun 

 meal; and a leetle salt and pepper," enumerated the traveler. 



The "ingrejunts" were "forthcomin'" in short order, and to them our Yankee 

 friend slily added a bay leaf; and when everything was properly prepared for its 

 reception, and as our friend remarked, the " witchin' time had arriv," the ''stun" 

 was carefully placed in the center of the seething mass. In a few minutes it was 

 taken out, carefully cleaned and put away, the soup was turned out into a 

 dish and duly sampled by everyone present, and pronounced perfect as to "body 

 and flavor." It is needless to say that our Yankee friend had demonstrated the 

 "virtoos" of the "stun," and that he consumed the bulk of the soup himself, 



