^8 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



the coast iu hard weather ; whereas I have never seen the 

 Merganser in autumn away from the salt-water. Only once 

 have I observed a Goosander upon the hill-loughs, and that 

 one escaped, in all probability purely by virtue of the 

 admirably conceived protective coloration of its plumage. 

 For, large and conspicuous as a Goosander drake appears, 

 yet his black and white plumage assimilated so perfectly with 

 the rippling water (it was a bright colourless November day) 

 that, though I had carefully " glassed " the lough before show- 

 ing in sight, I failed to detect anything on its surface. But 

 on my appearing he at once rose from the water, and after 

 circling round several times (but always out of shot) he took 

 himself right away. 



i^ut of all the foreign-going ducks, by far the most regular 

 winter migrant to the Border moors is the Golden -eye, whose 

 usual date of arrival is the concluding days of October or the 

 early ones of November. Next to the Mallard, it is the com- 

 monest of the duck-tribe on the inland moors. It appears very 

 regularly within a day or two of the 1st of November, singly 

 or in twos and threes, the largest number I have seen together 

 being seven. Golden-eyes are easily distinguished from Teal 

 at any distance by their white wing-spot, or " speculum," and 

 by their incessant diving. I mention this because few keepers 

 discriminate between the two species, yet difiereut tactics are 

 advisable to secure them. When inland. Golden-eyes are the 

 simplest of all the duck-tribe; so much so, that on seeing some 

 on a lough I always feel sure of getting a pair or more. This 

 is the more remarkable, since on the coast they are among the 

 wildest of wildfowl, and I have always found that, to attempt 

 to punt to these ducks, or to Mergansers, by daylight (which, 

 by the way, is the only chance (?) they offer, as all these day- 

 feeding diving-ducks are safe enough out at sea by night) is 

 just so much labour lost. On the moors, however, just the 

 reverse is the case. It is only necessary to creep within shot 

 of the water, and, on sending a man round, the Golden-eyes 

 will deliberately fly or even swim up to the concealed gun ; 

 whereas Mallards, under similar circumstances, would at 

 once, on the appearance of a human being, rise perhaps a 

 hundred yards in the air, and probably not stop again within 



