barrow's golden-eyk. 83 



at certain points, where the favorite mussels are obtained, it is mox'e 

 common. Dr. Macallum mentions the mouth of the Grand River, 

 near Dunnville, as one of the resorts where these Ijirds assemble in 

 a;reat numbers, and remain till frozen out. 



GLAUCIONETTA I8LANDICA (Gm.). 

 52. Barrow's Golden-eye. (152) 



Very similar to the preceding, differing chiefly in Vjeing larger in size ; gloss 

 of the head, purple and violet; loral spot, larger; white on the wing divided by 

 a dark bar; feathers on the hind head lengthened into a crest; bill blotched 

 with red. Length, 19-22; wing, 9-1(1. The female can probal)ly not be distin- 

 guished from the preceding. 



Hab. — Northern North America, south in winter to NeAV York, Illinois and 

 Utah; breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward, and south in the 

 Rocky ^Mountains to Colorado. 



Nest and eggs, like the preceding. 



Dr. Gamier, who resides at Lucknow, a little to the east of Lake 

 Huron, reports the finding of this species occasionally in winter in 

 the inlets along the lake shore. The Doctor, who is not entirely in 

 harmony with the modern school of ornithologists, thinks this a case 

 of unnecessary subdivision. At all events, he claims to have found 

 both forms, and he is likely correct, for the present species is found on 

 Lake Michigan, which is within easy reach of the point to which the 

 Doctor refers. It was also taken at Toronto, by Mr. C. Pickering, 

 on the 18th of April, 1885; and at Hamilton I am aware of three 

 being obtained, one of which came into my possession. Thej^ in^y> 

 however, be more common than we are aware, for the hunters do 

 not trouble the Whistlewings if anything more suitable for the table 

 is in view. 



In the "Birds of the North-West," Dr. Coues .says: "Barrow's 

 Golden-eye, upon which some doubt has been cast by myself among" 

 others, appears, nevertheless, to be a valid species, the differences 

 pointed out in the Key and in other works l)eing apparently constant 

 as well as appreciable : and there being, moreover, certain anatomical 

 }ieculiarities in the form of the skull, of which I have only lately 

 become aware." 



" Oi-iginally described in 1788, it was subsequently re-named and 

 figured in 1831. The species was ignored by Audubon, who mistook 

 it for the summer plumage of the common Golden-eye. It is the most 

 northerly species of the genus, having apparently a circumpolar dis- 



