The Golden-eyes. 367 



which vary in number from ten or twelve 

 to seventeen or even nineteen, are de- 

 posited. When hatched the young birds 

 are carried by the female in her beak 

 down to the ground or to the water, one 

 after another being taken down until the 

 entire brood is taken in safety from the 

 elevated nesting-place." 



The British Museum contains a con- 

 siderable series of the eggs of this species. 

 The eggs are oval or sometimes elliptical, 

 with a smooth surface and a fair amount 

 of gloss. In colour they are a greyish 

 green of different shades, and they measure 

 from 2'i to 2*4 in length by 1*55 to 175 

 in breadth. 



The down is pale lavender-grey with 

 paler centres. 



The adult male has the head and upper 

 neck black, glossed with green and purple. 

 There is a large white patch on each 

 cheek. The lower neck, the upper part 

 of the mantle, the sides of the breast, the 

 breast itself and the lower plumage are 

 white; the parts near the thighs being 

 more or less brown, and the long feathers 

 of the flanks margined with black on the 

 inner web* The lower part of the mantle, 

 the back, the rump and the upper tail- 

 coverts are black. The inner scapulars 



