156 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



THE GOLDEN EYE 

 (GLANGULA VULGARIS). 



THE Golden-eye (Glangula vulgaris), which is a very 

 handsome plumaged duck, is an excellent ex- 

 ample of the garrots. 



As winter visitants, they usually feed on the shallow 

 parts of the coast at the foot of pools or estuaries, seeking 

 their food by diving, and performing that act simulta- 

 neously, so much so that it is possible to approach them 

 by easy stages, moving forward and standing stock still 

 alternately, as the birds rise or dive, by which means a 

 sportsman may reach the water's edge. They would then 

 on rising take flight, never attempting to escape by again 

 diving, as a grebe or diver would do. 



The adult male has the head and upper part of the neck 

 rich glossy green, the feathers of a loose texture, and 

 capable of being much raised at will ; the chin nearly 

 black ; but a conspicuous mark is an oval spot behind the 

 base of the maxilla of pure white, which can be seen in 

 flight even at a great distance. 



The lower parts of the neck, breast, belly, and vent are 

 pure white, the long flank feathers having the outer part 

 of their inner webs black ; the back and mantle part of the 

 scapulars and long tertials black ; the outer scapulars 

 white, having their exterior webs margined with black ; 

 the intermediate wing-covers and last secondaries pure 

 white ; the quills and tail blackish brown ; legs and feet 

 orange. 



In the female the head and neck are umber-brown, the 

 breast grey, and remaining under-parts pure white. 



