!^68 ANATID.*;. 



up rivers that fall into the sea ; they are, also, sometimes 

 obtained on inland waters, both in decoys and by the gun. 

 They are active in the water, swimming and diving with 

 great rapidity, and when in pursuit of their food, which 

 consists principally of small fishes ; if five or six of these 

 ducks are together, they do not all dive at the same time, 

 but some of them remain on the surface, as sentinels, where 

 they keep a good look-out to prevent being approached and 

 surprised by an enemy. The flesh of this species, like that 

 of other ducks feeding on fish, is not in much estimation. 

 Young birds are better than old ones, but the muscular parts 

 are dark and coarse both in appearance and flavour. 



The Golden Eye is a regular winter visiter to Ireland, as 

 well as to England and Scotland ; it also visits Orkney and 

 Shetland, but all of them leave in spring for Scandinavia, 

 and countries still farther north. Mr. Hewitson, when with 

 his party in Norway, found a nest of the Golden Eye ; it 

 was in a tree, in a hole lately occupied by the Great Black 

 Woodpecker, at the height of ten or twelve feet from the 

 ground ; but though the aperture inside was about a foot in 

 diameter, and lined with the soft down of the bird, the ex- 

 ternal opening was so small that it was with difficulty the 

 hand could be inserted. The eggs were green, and measured 

 two inches and three-eighths in length, by one inch five- 

 eighths in breadth. 



TJie notes supplied me by Richard Dann, Esq., are as 

 follows : — " The Golden Eye is numerously spread over the 

 whole of Lapland, as far as the wooded districts extend, both 

 to the westward range of mountains which separate Norway 

 from Sweden, as well as the eastern parts. It breeds in 

 small numbers on the coast of Norway, but not from Sta- 

 vanger northward, and on the Dofrc Ficll mountains. It 

 prefers rivers to lakes, particularly the neighbourhood of falls 

 and rapids. The Laps and settlers place boxes, with an 

 entrance-hole, in the trees on the banks of the rivers and 



