262 



BAY, SEA OR DIVING DUCKS 



and the juvenile have a peculiar bulbous enlargement of the windpipe which 

 Barrow's lacks (fig. 48); this does not apply to females. Another anatomical differ- 

 ence is that Barrow's has a protuberance on the skull at the forehead which can 

 be readily felt with the finger (fig. 49); this is lacking in the American species. 



AUTUMN AND JUVENILE PLUMAGE: See "Descriptions." 



FEMALE. General effect: A medium-sized duck, with brownish-grey upper- 

 parts and white breast. Chief features (a) hind toe with lobe, (b) snuff-brown 

 head, (c) short neck, with white collar incomplete behind. 



The snuff-brown head and white collar of the American Golden-eye will pre- 

 vent confusion with any other species except the female Barrow's Golden-eye, 

 which, however, has the following distinguishing features: (a) head, slightly darker 

 brown to purplish brown, (b) grey of chest extends further into breast, (c) lesser 

 and middle coverts lack pronounced white area present in those of American 

 species, (d) protuberance on skull, as in male, sometimes present but very indefinite 

 (many females vary even in above points and it is often impossible to separate 

 them from the American species), (e) bill, more pointed and stubby, nail, more 

 prominent, (f) in spring, bill, all yellow, sometimes with dusky markings; this 

 colour sometimes evident as early as November or December, with the assumption 

 of the full breeding plumage. In the American, the bill, in the spring, is usually 

 only tipped with yellow, but see "Description." 



FIELD MARKS 



ON THE WATER. The male appears mainly white, with some black on the 

 back; it has a large-appearing black head, a short, thick neck, and generally 



stocky build. The round, white 

 spot between the eye and 

 the bill is generally notice- 

 able. The female appears 

 much smaller than the male, 

 has the upper-parts brownish 

 grey, a large brown head, and 

 a white collar; it is more 

 easily identified than most 

 females. The male floats 

 lightly on the water; while 

 Left, male American Golden-eye. Above, the female sits much lower, 



female. Right, male Barrow's Golden-eye. the underparts being mark- 



edly submerged. 



At a distance, males may be mistaken for the other black-and-white ducks, 

 such as male Mergansers and Buffle-head. The smaller Buffle-head may be told 

 by the large, triangular white patch on the head. The Golden-eye is a stocky, 

 short-necked duck with large, round head, while the Mergansers are long and rak- 

 ish, with long bill and long, snaky head. From Barrow's Golden-eye the male is 

 told by having a round, instead of crescent-shaped, white spot in front of the eye. 

 The shape of head in the males of the two Golden-eyes is very different, due to 

 the more luxuriant crest of Barrow's combined with the skull protuberance. The 

 best mark is that the American appears predominantly white because of the much 



