GOLDEN-EYED GAllROT. ITo 



hlack; the outer scapulars white, some of them edged xoith 

 black; on the wing a large undivided transvierse white space, 

 including many of the smaller coverts, some of the secondary 

 coverts, and eight secondary quills ; feet orange, webs dusky. 

 Female much smaller, loith the bill brown, toward the end 

 yellowish; the head and upper neck dull reddish-brown, the 

 lower neck grey, the upper parts grey, darker behind, the lower 

 white, but toith the sides and part of the abdomen hrownish- 

 grey, seven of the secondary quills and their coverts iohite,feet 

 yelloioish-hrown. Young similar to the female, but with the 

 bill and feet darker, as are the tints of the plumage ; the white 

 on the wing traversed by a band of dusky, the tips of the white 

 secondary coverts being of that colour. 



As differences of opinion exist respecting this bird, some 

 asserting that three distinct species are confounded under 

 the common name of Golden-eyed Duck or Garrot, while 

 others maintain that these three alleged species are merely 

 varieties dependent upon age or season, I may with pro- 

 priety premise that my descriptions will be taken exclu- 

 sively from specimens obtained in Scotland, where indi- 

 viduals are sufficiently common in winter and spring to 

 enable one to institute as extended an examination as he 

 may desire. I shall afterwards refer to specimens procured 

 in England, the north of Europe, Greenland, and North 

 America. 



Male in Winter. — The body of this bird is full, com- 

 pact, ovate, depressed ; the neck rather short and thick ; the 

 head large, oblong, compressed, and rounded above. The 

 bill is shorter than the head, much higher than broad at the 

 base, gradually depressed, and with its breadth moderately 

 diminished to the end, which is rounded. The upper man- 

 dible has the lateral sinuses broad and rounded ; the upper 

 sinus rather wide, but pointed ; the basal angles moderate 

 and acute ; the dorsal line straight and sloping to beyond 

 the middle, then nearly direct, and finally decurved on the 

 unguis, which is oblong, decurved, and strong-edged ; the 

 ridge flattened, broad, generally narrowed, toward the end 



