THE GOLDEN-EYE, ETC. 193 



on the grounds now owned by the English Lake Club 

 on the Kankakee in Indiana, and once made a very 

 good shot at one when mallard shooting. I heard the 

 whistler coming from behind my back and well over- 

 head. He was going so rapidly that I only had time 

 to make a snap-shot at him, but he fell dead in the 

 river. 



The Indians call it a spirit duck. On the Yukon 

 they stuff the skin to make a toy for the children. 



The Indians of the Frazer valley tell a story of two 

 men in one of their tribes who had a dispute as to 

 how the whistler made the noise, one claiming it was 

 produced by the wings, the other that it was vocal or 

 made through the nostrils. Others joined in the con- 

 troversy, which resulted in a majority of the warriors 

 being killed without settling the question. Allan 

 Brooks, quoted in "Birds that Hunt and are Hunted," 

 is my authority for this story. 



Barrow's golden-eye is the Western variety of this 

 bird, but they are so much alike in appearance and 

 habits, as to be one and the same from the sportsman's 

 point of view. 



THE BUFFLE-HEAD. 



The buffle-head is another duck which nests in trees 

 and is an expert diver. It is one of the smallest of the 

 ducks, being not much larger than the blue-wing teal 

 It flies rapidly and alights " by striking the water at 

 an angle with a splash and sliding along on it." It is 

 a cold-weather duck and remains in the United States 

 until the water freezes over. I have shot a few of 



