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part of the neck and head black, the latter being crowned with a jet 

 black crest of fine hair-like feathers. The female is of a brownish dark 

 slate colour on the back, belly white, head light brown, and is much 

 smaller than the male. The food, habits, etc., of this bird are identical 

 with those cf the sheldrake. The hooded merganser (Mergus 

 cucullatus) makes its appearance here about the first of April, or as soon 

 as it can find open water along the shoi'es to feed in. This bird is 

 considerably less in size than the i-ed-breasted variety. The male bird is 

 one of the most beautiful of ducks. The back is black, sides elegantly 

 variegated, belly white, neck and head jet black. The head is adornen 

 with a stately crest of white, semicircular in form, bordered by a weK 

 defined band of black. This maguificent crest can be raised or lovvered 

 at pleasure. The female is more plainly attired, being merely of a dark 

 brown on the back, with white belly and a dusky coloured crest of 

 hair-like feathers. Unlike the other mergansers this bird has a yellow 

 eye, and the wing speculum is white. The hooded, or crested merganser 

 as I should prefer calling this beautiful bird, is an expert di^-er, but 

 instead of fish it feeds on insects, larvje and, probably, "wild rice. Its 

 flesh is not fishy in taste, still it is not equal to that of the better classes 

 of the non-divers. These birds breed here. When not feeding they 

 swim close together, and fly also in a' compact manner. Their iavourite 

 feeding- places are along sliores under overhanging bushes. The golden- 

 eye (Clangula fjlacmm), deriving its name from the loud whistling 

 sound made by its wings when flying, belongs to the sub-family 

 JuUgulince or sea ducks. The golden-eye is widely distributed over every 

 quarter of the globe. It is well known in the Arctic, as well as the 

 Antarctic Ocean. The clear whistle of its wings can be heard by the 

 Icelander as well as by the Palagonian — by the boi'derer of Cape Clear 

 and the climber of the clifis of the Orkneys — by tlie Esquimaux of 

 Hudson's Bay and the dweller on the shores of the Gulf of INIexico — by 

 the British Columbian and the New Zealander. Wherever open water 

 along a coast can be found, the golden-eye, at some season of the year, 

 makes its home. No aquatic bird is more generally known to sportsmen 

 and ornithologists than the golden-eye. The golden-eye is a bold and 

 strong diver, feeding frequently in water twenty feet deep. Many of 

 them remain in this part of Canada all winter, frequenting rapid open 



