. A history of the game birds, wild-fowl and shore birds of Massachusetts and adjacent states : including those used for food which have disappeared since the settlement of the country, and those which are now hunted for food or sport, with observations on their former abundance and recent decrease in numbers; also the means for conserving those still in existence . whether they are eating flesh, fish or finnan haddie, andI have been credibly informed by some of these enthusiasticcoast gunners that they actually enjoy eating a Sheldrake ortwo in the spring after a hard winter. Since the above
. A history of the game birds, wild-fowl and shore birds of Massachusetts and adjacent states : including those used for food which have disappeared since the settlement of the country, and those which are now hunted for food or sport, with observations on their former abundance and recent decrease in numbers; also the means for conserving those still in existence . whether they are eating flesh, fish or finnan haddie, andI have been credibly informed by some of these enthusiasticcoast gunners that they actually enjoy eating a Sheldrake ortwo in the spring after a hard winter. Since the above was written, my son Lewis E. Forbushhas informed me that he saw a mother Duck with her youngon a pond in Worcester County, Mass., early in June, carried some of the young on her back. He also saysthat he and others saw three Ducks flying about in the neigh-borhood during the summer. From his description, all thesebirds must have been Mergansers; but he is not positivewhether they were of this species or the next. Under thepresent law, which forbids spring shooting, it is quite prob-able that Sheldrakes will breed in New England in increasingnumbers. 64 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER {Mergus serrator). Common or local New England names: Sheldrake; Spring-sheldrake; Shelduck; Shell-bird; Sea Robin; Long Island Female. Male. Length. — 22 to about 24 inches. Adult Male. — Head dark green (appearing black at a distance); long creston hind head; a broad white ring around neck; upper back black,lower back gray; tail grayish brown; wing mainly white, crossed bytwo black bars; a patch of white black-bordered feathers in front ofwing; flanks barred with fine wavy lines of black; lower neck andupper breast buff or pale cinnamon, streaked with black; below white;iris, bill, legs and feet red. Adult Female and —^ Smaller; throat white; rest of head and mostof neck, with a crest on hind head, reddish brown; back and tail slateg
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1912
