Red-breasted Merganser 105 
Corfu and Ionian Isles, Epirus, Albania (Lilford and Drummond Hay, Ibis, i860, p. 
354, &c.). 
Greece (O. Reiser, Ornis Balcanica, iii. p. 506). 
Turkey (Elwes and Buckley, Ibis, 1870, p. 341). 
Dobr^tdscha. — On passage (Dombrowski). 
Russia. — ^Black Sea (von Nordman, &c.). Astrakhan, rare (Henke, Ibis, 82, p. 230). 
Caspian Sea. — Fairly common. 
Africa: Morocco (Irby, Orn. Sir. Geb., p. 231). 
Madeira {^(z\im\Xz, Orn. Jahrb., 108, p. 44). 
Azores (O. Grant and Hartert, Nov. Zool., xii. p. no). 
Algeria (Buvry,/./^ O., 1857, p. 130; Loche, Cat. M. & O., p. 146; Koenig,/./! O., 
1893, p. 104). 
Tunisia. — Not uncommon (Whitaker, ^. of Tunisia, ii. 233; Y^otmg,J.f O., 1888, 
p. 296). Not recorded with certainty for Egypt ; one in Leiden Museum said to have been 
obtained there by Clot Bey. 
N. America. — Winters in south Greenland and the Commander Isles. On the east 
coast it is found from Maine to Florida, and it also visits Bermuda, On the western side 
its winter habitat ranges from Alaska to Lower California, and it has been taken in Cuba 
and Hawaii [A. O. U. Check List). 
Asia. — Winters in Persia, Japan, S. China, and Northern India; but only occurs in 
India as the " most rare of stragglers " (Stuart Baker, Indian Ducks, p. 282). 
Asia Minor. — Scarce {J. f. O., 1908, p. 621). 
Palestine. — Very common (Tristram, Ibis, 68, p. 328 ; Fauna and Fl. Palestine, &c.). 
Sinai Peninsula. — C. W. Wyatt [Ibis, 1870, p. 17). 
J ask, Persian G^^^(Sharpe, Ibis, iSgi, p. 116). 
Persian Baluchistan^ [cf Stuart Baker, Indian Ducks, p. 282). 
India. — About three records (Kurachi, Quetta, and Calcutta), E. C. St. Baker, torn, cil 
China. — Abundant ; Foochow and Swatow (La Touche, Ibis, 92, p. 493) ; Tokien 
U'f' iQiOj P- 480); throughout China (Swinhoe, P.Z.S., 1871, p. 416). 
Formosa (Grant and La Touche, Ibis, 1907, p. 261). 
Japan (Seebohm, B. Jap. Empire, p. 258, &c.). * 
Habits. — Wherever the traveller goes in the northern regions of the world in summer 
he will find this common bird, and in winter it is to be found on all the coasts and the large 
brackish or fresh waters adjoining them. 
To temperate climates the Red-breasted Merganser may be considered for the most 
part as a migratory species ; whilst its visits to southern latitudes are more often dictated 
by conditions of weather. As long as frost and ice will permit, however, it remains in 
northern latitudes actually on or close to its summer home ; and even if forced to undergo 
a temporary migration, it returns to its favourite haunts at the earliest opportunity. The 
majority wander southwards at the advent of the first cold period, and vast numbers move 
from the barrens and tundras of Arctic Canada, Europe, and Asia, to the fringe of the cold, 
and remain there until the following spring. About the middle of October they gather in 
large flocks and commence their southern movement gradually, the female and the young 
going first. Like many other species the immatures work farther to the south than 
VOL. II. o 
