1 78 WATER FOWL. 



marshes, and dabbling in the mud, sifting it between the 

 mandibles. Not often is it in the habit of alighting in the 

 open water away from the land, and whenever it does do 

 so it appears uneasy, as if anticipating some unseen dan- 

 ger, and is one of the first Ducks to take wing should an 

 alarm be sounded. 



When the weather is stormy, heavy rains or snow, the 

 Golden Eye keeps close to the shore, and if on a river, 

 flies up and down near the bank. It does not seem to 

 be so wild on stormy days, perhaps being more anxious 

 to find a shelter from the gale, and less mindful, for the 

 moment, of possible danger to itself from the usual causes. 

 The Whistler is a silent bird, its wings generally provid- 

 ing all the noise it makes, but occasionally I have 

 heard it utter a hoarse kind of croak similar to that made 

 by the Merganser, but at no time anything resembling a 

 quack. The European Golden Eye I consider specific- 

 ally the same as the American bird. It has been claimed 

 that the two are distinct, the difference consisting mainly 

 in size, the European being somewhat smaller. It is too 

 fine a distinction and nothing is gained by this attempt 

 to separate the birds, scientifically or otherwise, for such 

 an unsatisfactory reason. 



CLANGULA CLANGULA. 



Geographical Distribution. North America, from the Arctic 

 Sea to Mexico and Cuba. Breeds from Massachusetts and the 

 British Provinces, northward. In Old World from Great Britain 

 to Japan, and from Arctic regions to Northern Africa. 



Adult Male. A rather bunchy occipital crest, extending a 

 short distance down the hind neck. Head and upper part of 

 neck, glossy green, with purple reflections. A large, rather oval 

 white spot on lower part of the lores, advancing close to base of 

 bill. Lower part of neck, upper part of back, short scapulars, 



