452 Barrovys Golden Eye 



thologists that Barrow's Golden Eye is a species distinct from 

 its relative the Bucephala Americana. 



It only requires that the two species should be brought toge- 

 ther, for the peculiar characteristics appertaining to each to 

 be recognised at a glance, as regards the males ; the females I 

 must admit require more extended investigation. 



As a general thing the Bucejphala Islandica is a larger bird 

 than its relative, but the first object of difference in the males 

 which would probably attract attention, is the white spot ante- 

 rior to the eye, which, in the former species, occupies the entire 

 side of the bill, and runs up to a point on the forehead, while 

 that of the Bucephala Americana is of an oval shape, length- 

 ened longitudinally, and not reaching above the base of the 

 upper mandible. 



Another marked difference is in the color of the head, which, 

 in the species last mentioned, is of a bright glossy green, while 

 the other is of a deep rich blue, with purple reflections. This 

 color extends much further along the neck in Barrow's bird than 

 in our common species, leaving but a small portion of it a pure 

 white. 



.The Bucephala Ainericana has the white on the wings a 

 continuous patch with a concealed black bar on the bases of the 

 greater coverts, while the other has the greater coverts black, 

 tipped with white, which is continuous with the white second- 

 aries. 



The scapulars of the common Golden Eye are long and com- 

 paratively narrow, white margined with black, while those of 

 its relative are much broader, the white portion of the feather 

 of a squarer form, with its black margin quite wide. There is a 

 little difference in the shape of the scapulars between the two 

 species, which it may be as well here to notice, for in all the 

 examples that I have seen it has occurred, viz. that while those 

 of the Bucephala Americana are almost square at their tei'mi- 

 nation, those in its prototype have the black margin elongated 

 considerably beyond the white, which latter portion is rounded. 



