THE GEESE, SWANS, AND DUCKS. 241 



a sort of rudimentary crest on its green head. Like most 

 of these sea-ducks, the golden-eye is excellent gun practice, 

 for it is exceedingly shy, either diving at the flash or 

 rising at once from the water and flying rapidly away, 

 with audible whistling of the wings. 



Bu/el-headed Duck. A very rare straggler from North 

 America, so called from the white patch behind the eye, 

 which has found its way to these islands (not to Ireland) 

 on five occasions. 



Harlequin Duck. A rare straggler from arctic regions, 

 which appears to have been obtained, always in the North, 

 on less than half-a-dozen occasions. Its prevailing colours 

 are black and white, distributed in striking patterns. 



The Long-tailed Duck, for the most part a scarce winter 



visitor, is thought to breed in the Shetlands. It is chiefly 



tLong- me * w ^h in Scotland and Ireland, though it 



tailed has been obtained in nearly every county of 



c ' England. The male is easily recognised by 



the brown patch on its white neck and the two very 



long black tail-feathers; and, unlike most ducks, he has 



a distinct summer dress. 



The Eider Duck, a winter visitor to England, breeds 

 in the Fame Islands, also in the Orkneys, Shetland, and 



t Eider Hebrides. It is a somewhat striking bird, with 

 Duck. w hite back and breast, black crown and tail, 

 and a black line of feathers on the bill. I have seen it 

 occasionally bagged on the Baltic shores in mid- winter; 

 and I noticed that it flew even closer to the water than 

 most ducks, and that it was remarkably silent. It is a 

 valuable bird on account of its soft down. The nest, 

 placed on the ground on the shore, is of sea-weed and 

 grasses, lined with this down as the young are expected. 

 Eggs, 5 or 8, 3 inches ; green. 



King Eider. A rare straggler from arctic regions, which 

 has been obtained on but few occasions in England, and 



Q 



