400 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



large numbers. The drake is a handsome bird, 

 with glossy green head, bluish-black back and white 

 breast. It has also a conspicuous white spot near 

 the bill, and derives its name from the golden- 

 yellow colour of the eye. The nest is said to have 

 been found in the extreme north of Scotland. 



The Tufted Duck is a small compact fowl with 

 purple crested head, black breast and back and 

 white under surfaces. It swims low in the water 

 and feeds chiefly by diving. Considerable numbers 

 occur in England in winter, and manv remain to 

 breed. 



The Smew is strictly a winter visitor, never 

 having been known to nest in this country. The 

 plumage of the adult drake is white streaked with 

 dark lines and delicately marbled with ashen-grey. 

 Those seen in Great Britain, however, are usually 

 either young birds or females, and their general 

 colouring is grey with heads of a reddish-brown. 



The Scaup, Common Scoter, Eider and Sheld 

 Ducks are more essentially marine species and are 

 rarely seen in the inland lakes. The Scau^D has a 

 dark head and throat, with ashen-grey back and 

 wings and white under surfaces. It occurs in Eng- 

 land in winter, freciuenting the mud-flats and 

 saltings, and is said to nest occasionally in 

 Scotland. 



The Scoter or Black Duck is, as its name im- 

 plies, entirelv black. It is the most numerous of 

 the winter visitants, and flocks numbering many 

 thousands occur in severe weather upon the east 

 coast. The parties gather together in the evening, 

 and the dense black masses may be seen from a 



