THE GOLDEN-EYE. 395 



THE GOLDEN-EYE. 

 FULIGULA CLANGULA. 



THE handsome and conspicuous Golden-eye is commonly distributed 

 over the whole of western Scotland, being a regular winter visitant 

 to all the sea lochs of the mainland from Wigtownshire to Cape 

 Wrath, and also the sounds and lakes of both groups of islands. 

 Most of the specimens obtained are females and young birds, very 

 few adult males being seen in their company on their arrival. In 

 severe winters, as the season advances, they ascend our rivers and 

 take up their quarters in quiet places where they find plenty of 

 feeding consisting of fresh water shells, small Crustacea, and larvae 

 of insects. I have seen them on the river Cart, near Paisley, in 

 the beginning of April. Being a day-feeder and a splendid diver, 

 the Golden eye often assembles in large flocks out at sea over some 

 favourite bank of sand or mud, where they remain from morning 

 until .nightfall, after which they usually betake themselves, with a 

 rapid and vigorous flight, to moorland lochs, or follow the course 

 of the larger rivers till they meet with a safe refuge. On the east 

 coast, near Dunbar, I have seen hundreds of males mingling with 

 other ducks, such as dun birds, tufted and common scaups, and 

 presenting a very showy appearance outside the line of shore waves 

 as they floated lightly on the water. At other times, on a clear 

 breezy day, with just enough of wind to ruffle the blue sea, I have 

 seen large flocks of these bachelor Golden-eyes by themselves, and 

 looking as if ranged in a line when a broad-backed wave lifted 

 them into full view as I stood upon the beach. I have sometimes 

 sailed down upon such assemblies : at first the ducks sat high on 

 the water, looking really handsome when at their ease, but as the 

 boat sailed nearer they commenced sinking their bodies and finally 

 dived, reappearing at a distance, and then rising almost in a body. 

 Mr Harvie Brown informs me that he finds the Golden-eye to be 

 common on the Forth at Grangemouth, and also on the Carron, in 

 all stages of plumage, and of both sexes. 



The Golden-eye probably breeds occasionally in Sutherlandshire, 

 as specimens have been seen and obtained in that county as late 

 as the end of May. Mr A. G. More has stated in the ' Ibis ' for 

 1865 that a pair of Golden-eyes bred in the hollow of an old larch 

 tree at Loch Assynt. The nest, with the young birds, was found 



