THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 307 
ling all are down, save six that float on the water, four dead, one 
spinning round, and the other striving in vain to dive. In less 
than two minutes they are seen emerging, more than a quarter 
of a mile out at sea, and presently again they are out of sight. 
On such occasions they seldom fly.” 
According to Naumann their cry is a loudly resounding 
euttural koerrr or gerrr, heard chiefly during flight, occasion- 
ally on rising, and more often from females and young than 
males, which latter in the pairing season often only emit a 
single peculiarly hollow low note. 
THEY BREED, speaking generally, from about the 50th degree 
North Latitude to, in places, well within the Arctic Circle. 
They nest sometimes on the ground, in grass or other low cover, 
or at the base of small low-boughed trees, sometimes in hollows 
of trees, or fallen trunks, and sometimes in clefts of rocks (Dy- 
bowskt) ; when onthe ground the nest is composed of tiny 
twigs, or fine grass stems, or moss and lichen, or all these mixed, 
more or less intermingled and well lined with down. When 
placed in holes there is usually only a bed of down. They 
lay in May or June, (early or late according to season and 
locality) eight to twelve or more eggs, which are creamy yellow, 
more or less tinged with green or grey, or greyish green; 
moderately broad, very regular ovals, smooth to the touch, though 
less so than those of the Goosander, varying from 2°45 to 2°8 
in length and from 1°68 to 1°82 in breadth, and averaging about 
2°57 by 1°75. 
I HAVE no original particulars to furnish of this species; the 
following I compile from European and American specimens 
and sources :— 
Males.—Length, 24'0 to 26°0; expanse, 29'0 to 32°53; wing, 
Moone 10.0 - tail, irom insertion of feathers, 3°I to 4:2; tarsus, 
ES to 2:05; bill at front, along culmen, 24 to 2°5; weight, 
(Naumann) a little over 2lbs. 
Females —Lenegth, 22'0 to 23°5; expanse, 280 to 31°03; wing, 
85 to 9°3; tail, from insertion of feathers, 2:7 to 36; tarsus, 1°66 
to 1°83 ; bill, as above, 2°1 to 2°3. 
In the male, the bill varies from orange red to deep ver- 
milion, is more or less dusky on the ridge, and has the nail 
varying from pale yellowish grey to almost black; the feet 
vary similarly to the bill, and are brighter externally, paler 
internally, and duller on the webs; the claws are light grey, 
duller, and browner or redder towards their bases. 
In the young and females there is more dusky on the upper 
mandible, where the red is often only a lateral band, and the 
feet are duller coloured than in the adult male. 
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