. British birds . es white ; speculum whitebarred with black ; rump, flanks, and tail-coverts vermiculated withgrey; lower neck pale chestnut streaked with black, on each sidea conspicuous tuft of white feathers edged with black ; under partswhite ; legs and feet reddish orange. Length, twenty-four female has the head and neck reddish brown, and is less richlycoloured than the male, and much smaller. RED-BBEASTED MEBGANSEB 267 The present species exceeds the goosander in elegance of formand in handsomeness of colouring and ornament. It is a wintervisitor, and also a resident through
. British birds . es white ; speculum whitebarred with black ; rump, flanks, and tail-coverts vermiculated withgrey; lower neck pale chestnut streaked with black, on each sidea conspicuous tuft of white feathers edged with black ; under partswhite ; legs and feet reddish orange. Length, twenty-four female has the head and neck reddish brown, and is less richlycoloured than the male, and much smaller. RED-BBEASTED MEBGANSEB 267 The present species exceeds the goosander in elegance of formand in handsomeness of colouring and ornament. It is a wintervisitor, and also a resident throughout the year on the coast ofScotland north of the Clyde, and of the Orkneys, Shetlands,Hebrides, and St. Kilda. In Scotland and Ireland it inhabits inlandlakes and rivers, as well as the sea-coasts. Dmring the cold seasonit is gregarious, and usually goes in small flocks. In March thesecompanies break up, and male and female are thereafter seen alwaysin close companionship. They are excessively shy and wary birds,. Fio. 87.—Eed-Breasted Merganser. ^ natural size. diving or taking to flight on the least alarm. They feed on smallfishes and marine moUuscs, which they take by diving; near theshore, where the water is shallow, they are often seen with head andneck almost continuously immersed as they explore among the seaweedat the bottom for food. They swim like the cormorant, having thefaculty of sinking the body beneath the surface ; and also dive likethat bird, springing up and plunging down almost vertically. Thefavourite nesting-place is on an island, under the shelter of a rock,sometimes in a hole in the ground. The nest is formed of leavesand grass placed in a slight hoUow, down being added later by theincubating bird. Six to nine eggs are laid, sometimes as many astwelve. The eggs are glossy, and pale olive-grey in colour. Thedrake does not assist in incubation or in protecting the young. 258 BRITISH BIRDS albellus. Forehead, crown, with crest, throat, neck, a
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Keywords: ., bookauthorhudsonwh, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookyear1921
