230 ANAS CLANGULA. 



was shot on the Delaware on the 10th of March, and 

 presented to me by Dr S. B. Smith of this city. On 

 dissection, it proved to be a male, and was exceeding fat 

 and tender. Almost every specimen I have since met 

 with has been in nearly the same state ; so that I cannot 

 avoid thinking this species equal to most others for the 

 table, and greatly superior to many. 



279. ANAS CLANGVLA, LINNAEUS AND WILSON. GOLDEN-EYE. 



WILSON, PLATE LXVII. FIG. VI. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 



THIS duck is well known in Europe, and in various 

 regions of the United States, both along the sea coast 

 and about the lakes and rivers of the interior. It 

 associates in small parties, and may easily be known by 

 the vigorous whistling of its wings as it passes through 

 the air. It swims and dives well, but seldom walks 

 on shore, and then in a waddling, awkward manner. 

 Feeding chiefly on shell fish, small fry, &c. their flesh 

 is less esteemed than that of the preceding. In the 

 United States they are only winter visitors, leaving us 

 again in the month of April, being then on their passage 

 to the north to breed. They are said to build, like the 

 wood duck, in hollow trees. 



The golden-eye is nineteen inches long, and twenty- 

 nine in extent, and weighs on an average about two 

 pounds ; the bill is black, short, rising considerably up 

 in the forehead; the plumage of the head and part of 

 the neck is somewhat tumid, and of a dark green, with 

 violet reflections, marked near the corner of the mouth 

 with an oval spot of white ; the irides are golden yellow ; 

 rest of the neck, breast, and whole lower parts, white, 

 except the flanks, which are dusky ; back and wings, 

 black ; over 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 



