THE AMERICAN MERGANSER 



Merganser Americanus. 

 BY ALLAN BROOKS. 



This, the largest of all the sawbill family, 

 is also the best known, as it is generally 

 distributed from coast to coast, on both 

 fresh and salt water, wherever there are 

 fish to catch. In Europe and Asia it is re- 

 placed by closely allied species, the goosan- 

 der, which lacks the black bar across the 

 wing coverts so conspicuous in the Ameri- 

 can species. 



Though the American merganser is of 

 fairly common occurrence along the sea 



sawbill, soon roll the water so that pursuit 

 is no longer successful ; but in the shallow, 

 gravelly reaches where the little trout lie, 

 there is no escape for the doomed fish, once 

 the voracious destroyer has discovered it. 

 Even fish of half a pound are taken, as the 

 merganser's gullet is very elastic. 



Considering that a sawbill can easily 

 digest 5 pounds of fish in a day some idea 

 can be formed of their destructiveness. 

 Although they are handsome and interest- 



The American Merganser- 



coasts, it is more essentially an inland bird, 

 and delights in rapid rivers and rocky 

 lakes in preference to reedy marshes and 

 stagnant water. As long as fish are plenti- 

 ful no stream is too small nor lake too re- 

 mote for the big sawbill, and it works tre- 

 mendous havoc among the fry of salmon and 

 trout. The reason these fishes are the chief 

 victims is that the water must be clear to 

 enable the merganser to secure its prey. 

 The fry of most coarse fish frequent shal- 

 low water with a muddy bottom. The fran- 

 tic rushes of the school of fish, together 

 with the commotion made by the pursuing 



Drawn by Allan Brooks. 



ing birds all laws protecting them should 

 be repealed, and where they frequent pro- 

 tected waters a bounty should be put on 

 their heads. 



The red breasted merganser, which most- 

 ly frequents salt water, does little damage, 

 and the hooded merganser still less, as its 

 food is principally small shellfish, larvae 

 of dragon flies and .beetles, etc. 



The American merganser is an early 

 breeder, laying its eggs in a hollow tree as 

 a rule, but where there are no suitable 

 trees, it makes its nest among large rocks 

 or rank herbage. The brood of 10 to 14 



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