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CLANGULA GLAUCION AMERICANA, 
THE AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 
Specific Character. -Male—Head and upper half of neck black glossed with 
green, varying to violet, a roundish white spot between the rictus and the eye, 
but not reaching to the latter; back, inner scapulars, tertials, ramp, and upper 
tail coverts, deep black ; lower half of the neck (all round), lower parts, outer 
scapulars, posterior, lesser, middle, and greater wing coverts and secondaries, 
pure white; anterior lesser wing coverts and outer edges of scapulars and flank 
feathers and concealed portions of greater coverts deep black ; primaries blackish 
dusky ; tail dull slate ; sides of the anal region behind the flanks clouded with 
grayish. Bill deep black; iris bright yellow; feet orange yellow with dusky 
webs. 
Adult Female——Head and neck hair brown of greyish brown, rather than 
purplish sepia or snuff brown, and white on the wing usually not interrupted by 
a distinct bar. 
Total length about 18.50-20.00 inches; extent 31.00; wing about 9.25; 
length of bill from tip to basalangle 1.85 ; tarsus 1.60; middle toe 2.50. Female. 
is less in size. 
Halitat—The whole of North America breeding from Maine and British 
provinces northward, south to Cuba in the winter. The Golden-eye, or Whistler, 
as it is commonly called from the noise it makes with its wings when flying, is 
distributed pretty generally over North America. It is quite common in Ontario 
especially in the late autumn, and it probably remains on open waters all winter 
in Southern Ontario. It feeds on fish, shellfish, molluses, marine vegetables, and 
seeds. Its flesh is consequently fishy and almost unfit for food. It breeds prin- 
cipally to the north and the nest is, generally like the Woodduck’s, in a hole in 
a tree where the female lays 6 or 8 eggs. It is a strong flyer and an expert diver 
and not easily shot. 
