360 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



will be more fortunate than myself, and 

 settle the question of whether the Golden- 

 eye occurs in the upper Irrawaddy or not. 



The Golden-eye is one of those Ducks 

 which has a very wide distribution, being 

 found over the greater part of the 

 northern hemisphere. In summer it 

 occurs up to, and within, the Arctic Circle, 

 and in winter it ranges down the American 

 continent to Mexico ; to Southern 

 Europe and Northern Africa ; and to many 

 parts of Southern Asia. 



There is nothing on record regarding the 

 habits of the Golden-eye in the East, and 

 I shall therefore give my readers a number 

 of interesting notes extracted from the 

 writings of European authors. 



Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey remarks : — 

 " The Golden-eye, like the Pochard, fre- 

 quents inland lakes in some numbers, but 

 is always a wary bird and difficult of 

 approach. The wings of this species are 

 so short and stiff in proportion to its 

 weight and size, and are forced to beat 

 so quickly to project its body, that a 

 distinct whistle may be heard as it flies 

 by. . . . To get within shot of a number 

 of Golden-eyes is an unusual feat in open 

 water. The man, or men, and punt that 

 can do this need not fear failure with 



