THE GOLDEN EYE 195 



spring. During this time it frequents those ])arts of the coast 

 which abound in shellfish, mostly diving for its food after the 

 manner of the Scoters. On the coast of Norfolk, where Scaups 

 often appear during winter in large flocks, they are called * Mussel 

 Ducks', a name no less appropriate than Scaup ; for mussels, and 

 indeed many other kinds of shellfish, as well as insects and marine 

 plants, seem equally acceptable to them. Selby records a single 

 instance of the Scaup having bred so far south as Sutherlandshire, 

 a female having been seen in the month of June, accompanied by 

 a young one. They have paired on Loch Leven. It is generally 

 distributed along the shores of Great Britain, excepting on the 

 south coast of Ireland. In August, 1861, I observed two birds 

 swimming sociably on a small fresh-water loch in the island of I slay, 

 which, upon examination through a telescope, appeared to me tf) 

 be, one, a kind of Goose, the other decidedly a Duck of some kind. 

 On inquiry I found that the former was a Bernacle Goose, which had 

 been caught in a neighbouring island in the previous winter, and 

 had been given to the laird's keeper, who pinioned it and turned it 

 out on the loch to shift for itself. Of the Duck nothing was known, 

 nor had it been observed before. It eventually proved to be an 

 adult male Scaup Duck, but what had induced it to remain there 

 all the summer in the society of a bird of a different tribe, is a 

 question which I did not attempt to solve. 



The Scaup Duck is very abundant in Holland during winter, 

 covering the inland seas with immense flocks. It is found more 

 sparingly in other continental countries. It breeds in the extreme 

 north, both in the eastern and western hemispheres. 



THE GOLDEN EYE 



CLANGULA GLAUCION 



A white patch under the eye ; Jiead and neck black, histrous with violet 

 and green ; back black ; scapulars, great wing-coverts, speculum, and 

 under parts, white ; bill black ; irides golden j'ellow ; feet orange, with 

 black membranes. Fouale — all the head and neck dark brown ; feathers 

 of the back dusky bordered with dark ash ; greater wing-coverts white 

 tipped with black ; speculum and under parts white ; tip of the bill 

 yellowish, irides and feet pale yellow. Length eighteen and a half inches. 

 Eggs buffy white. 



This pretty, active little Duck is a regular winter visitant to the 

 British shores, from autumn to spring, resorting to most of the locali- 

 ties frequented by other species, and frequently fahing to the sports- 

 man's gun, though little prized for the table. Females and young 

 birds, called ^lorHlons, are most numerous in England. They are 

 very strong of flight, and are remarkable for making with their 

 wings as they cleave the air a whistling sound, thouglit to resemble 



