Their beaks are narrow, hooked, and sharply toothed, which makes it easy for them to hold their slippery prey.

But this oily food makes their flesh so rank that none of them is fit food for House People.

They are all called Mergansers, and we have in this country four different species.
"The River Ducks are those that we see mostly in the spring and fall migrations; they have the handsomest plumage and the most delicate flesh.

They feed along shallow rivers, ponds, and lakes, after the manner of barnyard Ducks--for the Mallard is one of them, and tame Ducks are domesticated Mallards, as I told you.

In feeding, they bob head downward in the water with their tails straight up in the air, to find the roots, seeds, insects, small shell-fish, and other things they like to eat.