GOLDEN-EYE GARROT. LONG-TAILED DUCK. 209 



pearing more plentifully at the principal haunt of wild fowl on 

 the Dublin coast, Malahide, a locality where all the visitants 

 frequenting our waters during winter appear to form a com- 

 plete garrison, and detach flocks from their main body to 

 Dublin Bay and the surrounding estuaries. 



Frequenting indifferently the coast line or the inland lake, 

 the great majority of the golden-eyes brought for sale to the 

 markets are obtained from the interior, where they are said 

 to be captured by decoys, of which fact we have at times suf- 

 ficient proof in the dislocated necks of the various birds taken 

 by the decoy man. 



The golden- eye is singularly expert at diving, and seldom 

 attempts to escape, like the widgeon or mallard, by trusting to 

 its powers of flight, but instantly on perceiving danger dives, 

 and if observing the same appearance on emerging again dives, 

 and so on after coming up, increasing the distance from the 

 suspicious object at each immersion by its progress under 

 water. From this habit they are well known on the coast by 

 the name of divers, by which name all the ducks frequenting 

 the sea are known, with any other distinguishing appellation, 

 as black divers, golden-eye divers, &c. 



The golden-eye is, perhaps, as elegant in appearance as 

 any of the richly marked ducks we have already described, 

 and though we see none of the delicately minute markings 

 so beautifully exemplified in the teal and scaup duck, or the 

 great variety of colours as in the shoveller and widgeon, yet 

 the golden-eye duck is singularly attractive, its rich glossy- 

 green head and neck, broken on each side of the bill with an 

 oval white spot, together with the peculiarly glossy and silky 

 white plumage of the under parts, render it one of the most 

 beautiful of the entire Anatidine family. 



Habitat Northern Europe. 



GENUS XCYIIL HARELDA (HARELD). 



SPECIES 201 THE LONG-TAILED DUCK. 



Harelda glacialis. Selby. 

 Canard de miclon. Temm. 

 Northern Hareld. 



THE LONG-TAILED DUCK, reminding us of the teal in its di- 

 minutive size, is only an occasional winter visitant, and when 

 occurring appears to be a species well distributed round the 

 coast, as specimens from the south, east, and western shores 

 of Ireland have come under our own observation. In the winter 



