376 ANATID^E. 



frozen over they seek the head waters of the rapid streams, 

 in the turbulent eddies of which they find abundance of 

 prey. Possessed of a feeling of security arising from the 

 rapidity with which they can dive, they often allow you to 

 go quite near them, though they will then watch every 

 motion, and at the snap of your gun, or on its being dis- 

 charged, disappear with the swiftness of thought, and, per- 

 haps, as quickly rise again within a few yards, as if to ascer- 

 tain the cause of their alarm. When these birds return to 

 us from the north, the number of the young so much exceed 

 that of the old, that to find males in full plumage is much 

 more uncommon than toward the time of their departure, 

 when I have thought the males as numerous as the females. 

 Although at times they are very fat, their flesh is fishy and 

 disagreeable ; many of them, however, are offered for sale 

 in our markets. 



" The note is a mere croak, much resembling that of the 

 Golden Eye, but not so loud." These birds leave the 

 United States in spring to breed in more northern regions, 

 and, like the Golden Eye, are said to make their nests in 

 hollow trees. Mr. Audubon saw many in flocks in the 

 Bay of Fundy. The specimen figured by Edwards, plate 

 100, came from Newfoundland. Dr. Richardson states 

 that they frequent the rivers and fresh- water lakes through- 

 out the Fur countries in great numbers, but does not men- 

 tion having observed them breeding. Dr. Townsend found 

 this species on the streams of the Rocky Mountains ; and 

 it has been observed as far westward as Monterey, in New 

 California. Captain Beechey, during a voyage to the 

 Pacific and Behring's Straits, found this Duck at San 

 Francisco. 



In the adult male the bill is bluish-black, narrow, and 

 small; irides hazel; forehead, lore, chin, throat, and sides 



