74 THE OSPREY. 



companies a great thaw. The river will be on the rise and the ice cakes can 

 be seen swiftly running in the semi-darkness. 



The first sounds noticed from the river are caused by the ice and water in 

 commotion. The low "swishing" noise of the warm slush ice along shore is 

 drowned by the deeper reports and rumblinojs of the real movements out in 

 the current of the stream. Great fields of solid ice are being crushed to pieces 

 against piles of the same, caught and anchored fast to a rocky projection. The 

 crunching and grinding of the ice cakes is the loudest noise, but you can plainly 

 hear the voices and wing-beats of the water fowl. 



The whistling noise made by the Golden-eye wings is constant as they are 

 now scattered, the flocks broken and each bird for itself . The "spur" "spur" 

 comes across the water frequently though, and the deep "honking" of Canada 

 Geese, either passing over head or complaining at being forced to take wing 

 because the cake they were drifting on has collided, or been crushed. In the 

 air above, and low near the river's surface, you can distinguish the barking 

 notes of the passing flocks of Pin-tails; at intervals the deep "quack-quack" 

 of a startled Mallard reaches you; frequently the pleasant whistling notes of 

 the Green-winged Teal, accompanied by the nasal "quack, quack, quack" of 

 an excited drake of the same species comes to you. 



Every crash of the contending ice fields is preceded, and followed, by 

 great confusion; first, the mufiled roar of the wings as the birds rise from the 

 water; then the crushing, rending noise of the breaking ice; and then, as the 

 ducks scatter out, you can realize the different species passing nearby, by the 

 noise from the wings. The heavy beat, accompanied by the low whistling 

 heard if very near, of the Mallard wings, cannot be mistaken, any more than 

 can the rapid humming of the Teals. Louder though than all others and 

 throwing an echo from the opposite bluff — never totally absent from your 

 hearing — is the clear whistling of the Golden-eye wings. 



Occasionally the dim white shape of a gull appears with steady wing beats, 

 which give out no noise; appearing and disappearing in a silent, ghostly 

 manner. 



The Golden-eye is known to the gunners here by the name of " whistler." 

 This is the most generally used name, but they are sometimes called "winter 

 ducks," and again "fish ducks." The last title confuses them with the Shell- 

 drakes or Mergansers, and as the flesh of the Golden-eye is not bad the name 

 is hardly deserved. I have killed many here during the winter and early 

 spring, and have never found one unfit for food. Of course though, I do not 

 mean to say that they can be compared to the Mallard or Teal in this respect. 

 Being heavy fliers, they are not hard to hit on the wing, but are very tenacious 

 of life and bard to kill. If wounded, they fall into the water and dive to such 

 distances that it requires lots of work and good eyes to get another shot. 



