GOLDEN EYE. 369 



birds resort to, and feed in, the estuaries, or at a short 

 distance up rivers that fall into the sea ; they are, also, 

 sometimes obtained on inland waters, both in decoys and 

 by the gun. They are active in the water, swimming and 

 diving with great rapidity, and when in pursuit of their 

 food, which consists principally of small fishes ; if five or 

 six of these Ducks are together, they do not all dive at 

 the same time, but some of them remain on the surface, 

 as sentinels, where they keep a good look-out to prevent 

 being approached and surprised by an enemy. The flesh 

 of this species, like that of other Ducks feeding on fish, 

 is not in much estimation. Young birds are better than 

 old ones, but the muscular parts are dark and coarse both 

 in appearance and flavour. 



The Golden Eye is a regular winter visiter to Ireland, 

 as well as to England and Scotland ; it also visits Ork- 

 ney and Shetland, but all of them leave in spring for 

 Scandinavia, and countries still farther north. Mr. Hew- 

 itson, when with his party in Norway, found a nest of the 

 Golden Eye ; it was in a tree, in a hole lately occupied 

 by the Great Black Woodpecker, at the height of ten or 

 twelve feet from the ground ; but though the aperture 

 inside was about a foot in diameter, and lined with the 

 soft down of the bird, the external opening was so small 

 that it was with difficulty the hand could be inserted. 

 The eggs were green, and measured two inches and three- 

 eighths in length, by one inch five-eighths in breadth. 



The notes supplied me by Richard Dann, Esq., are as 

 follows : " The Golden Eye is numerously spread over 

 the whole of Lapland, as far as the wooded districts ex- 

 tend, both to the westward range of mountains which se- 

 parate Norway from Sweden, as well as the eastern parts. 

 It breeds in small numbers on the coast of Norway, but 



VOL. Ill, B B 



