COLDKN KYK. 361 



the latter a broad bed of white extends from the middle of the 

 lesser coverts to the extremity of the secondaries; the exterior 

 scapulars are also white; tail hoary brown; rump and tail coverts 

 black; legs and toes reddish orange; webs very large, and of a 

 dark purplish brown; hind toe and exterior edge of the inner 

 one broadly finned; sides of the bill obliquely dentated; tongue 

 covered above with a fine thick velvetty down of a whitish colour. 



The full plumaged female is seventeen inches in length, and 

 twenty-seven inches in extent; bill brown, orange near the tip; 

 head and part of the neck brown, or very dark drab, bounded 

 below by a ring of white; below that the neck is ash, tipt with 

 white; rest of the lower parts white; wings dusky, six of the 

 secondaries and their greater coverts pure white, except the 

 tips of the last, which are touched with dusky spots; rest of the 

 wing coverts cinereous, mixed with whitish; back and scapu- 

 lars dusky, tipt with brown; feet dull orange; across the vent a 

 band of cinereous; tongue covered with the same velvetty down 

 as the male. 



The young birds of the first season very much resemble the 

 females: but may generally be distinguished by the white spot, 

 or at least its rudiments, which marks the corner of the mouth. 

 Yet, in some cases, even this is variable, both old and young 

 male birds occasionally wanting the spot. 



From an examination of many individuals of this species of 

 both sexes, I have very little doubt that the Morillon of English 

 writers (Anas glaucion) is nothing more than the young male 

 of the Golden-eye. 



The conformation of the trachea, or windpipe of the male of 

 this species, is singular. Nearly about its middle it swells out to 

 at least five times its common diameter, the concentric hoops 

 or rings, of which this part is formed, falling obliquely into one 

 another when the windpipe is relaxed; but when stretched, this 

 part swells out to its full size, the rings being then drawn apart; 

 this expansion extends for about three inches; three more be- 

 low this it again forms itself into a hard cartilaginous shell, of 

 an irregular figure, and nearly as large as a walnut; from the 



VOL. in. 3 A 



