Merganser americanus . Wi 
Skin no. 30453 in the Brewster Collection was found 
by William Smith, a lad, in a hole in the marsh a- 
bout 30 ft. from the river bank. One wing was 
broken, George Ray brought it here and received 
50 cents for it. It was kept alive a few days be- 
fore before being sent to Mr. Nelson. §<- g - 
American Merganser, wintering at Boston, Mass.— I have noted 
this species ( Mergus americanus) on Charles River, Boston, Mass., t is 
winter as follows: 
Dec. 24, 1915. I saw a single bird in the female plumage. 
Dec. 25, 1915. Saw a single bird in female plumage in the morning, in 
the afternoon saw three. 
Dec. 31, 1915. Saw seven in plumage of the female,, the river was 
skimmed over with ice, they were in an open space. 
Jan. 4, 1916. I saw the seven again today, also saw a new one, a drake, 
in full plumage. 
Jan. 13, 1916. Saw four, one drake, three in female plumage; another 
full phimaged drake joined them in the p.m. 
Jan. 22, 1916. I saw thirteen, four drakes in full plumage, the others 
in the female plumage. . . „ . 
Jan. 30, 1916. I saw eleven, four of which were drakes in full plumage. 
They were widely separated. 
Feb. 6, 1916. Saw twenty at 8 o’clock a. m., five of them drakes, later 
there were nine drakes. 
Feb. 7, 1916. Saw them all again this morning. 
Feb. 10, 1916. River closed with ice, birds all gone. 
I have noticed a number of times this winter a feature in the courtship 
of the drakes, while resting on the water. They would send out a stream 
of water with their feet, or foot, between three and four feet directly behind 
them. I would also mention that they are astonishingly swift swim- 
mers under water, and that coming up under the ice apparently caused 
them little inconvenience. — George H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass. 
3 / 9 ~3 2 O' 
