GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. 321 
and, having undressed, I waded out barefooted. and examined the bot- 
tom, which I found to be composed of rather hard blue clay, full of 
holes bored by cray-fish. But to make myself quite sure that these 
creatures formed the attraction to the Ducks, I watched an opportu- 
nity, and shot two of the latter, the examination of which satisfied me 
on the subject. 
I had long before this been convinced, that an abundant supply of 
food afforded a powerful attraction to migrating birds, and on this sub- 
ject you may remember my remarks in the articles of the Wild ‘Turkey 
and Passenger Pigeon, in the first volume of this work ; but I had not 
then, nor have I since, seen so strong an instance of pertinacity in at- 
tachment to a particular spot. 
The flight of this species is powerful, extremely rapid, and wonder- 
fully protracted. It passes along with a speed equal to that of any of 
the Duck tribe, and I believe can easily traverse the space of ninety 
miles in an hour. The whistling of its wings may be distinctly heard 
when it is more than half a mile distant. This statement may be found 
to be in contradiction to those of probably every previous writer, for it 
has been a general opinion, that the greater the extent of wing the 
more rapid is the flight, which is anything but correct. On flying from 
the water, they proceed for a considerable distance very low, not rising 
to any height until they have advanced several hundred yards. 
The only nest of the Golden-eye which I have examined, I disco- 
vered, on the 15th of June, on the margin of a small creek about eight 
miles from Green Bay. The female left it, probably to go in search 
of food, whilst I was sitting under the tree in which it was, thinking 
more of my peculiar situation than of birds of any kind, for I was al- 
most destitute of ammunition, and bent on returning to my family, 
then in Louisiana. How exciting are such moments to the ardent ob- 
server of Nature! In an instant, hunger, fatigue, even the thoughts 
of my beloved wife and children, vanished ; and in a few minutes I was 
safely lodged on the tree, and thrusting my arm into the cavity of a large 
broken branch. Nine beautiful, greenish, smooth eggs, almost equally 
rounded at both ends, were at my disposal. They were laid on some 
dry grass of the kind that grew on the edges of the creek, and were 
deeply imbedded in the down of the bird. Not being then aware of 
the necessity of measuring or keeping eggs, I roasted them on some 
embers, and finding them truly delicious, soon satisfied my hunger. 
VOL. lv. . 
