AXATID.E. 237 



" This bird is common in the estuan- of Kiagsbridgc, and ou Slapton 

 Ley (a large piece of fresh water), where tliey are frenuentlj^ seen in 

 small flocks'' (Montagn, Orn. Diet., Suppl.). '' Pormerly the Goldeu- 

 eye came [to the Exe estuary] in considerable flocks every winter, but 

 now they are visible in comparatively small nnmbers " (W. R. 8., Zool. 

 1JS45, p. 982). We have, however, seen a good many on the Exe from 

 time to time. 



The Golden-eye is another verj' expert diver, and is not uncommon as 

 a winter visitor to Xorth Devon, where it has occurred to ourselves, on 

 small ponds and marshes adjoining the Barnstaple river, both ia its full 

 adult and in its immature dress. In the former of these stages it is, 

 however, more rarely obtained than in the latter ; young birds and 

 females greatly outuuuibcring the ndult males, which do not appear until 

 the winter is well advanced. And this appears to be the case with this 

 species all round our coast, according to the information which we glean 

 from other writers. 



Specimens were obtaiued on the Exe in January and February 18."S, and November 

 1842 (F. ^Y. L. R.) ; in 1847 and 1849 (R. C.) ;' February ancl December 18^,3. No- 

 vember 18.54, January, March, and November ]85o, December 1879, 1882, and January 

 1891 (several adult males). An adult male on the Teiu;n, February 15tb, 1870 tZnol. 

 1870, p. 2U78). A female on Torbay, December 28th, 181)9 (ZJol. 187l>, ]\ 2U.")9). 

 Golden-eyes were very numerous on IviiiKsbridge estuary in the winter of 11^74, and 

 some were met with in 1 875. '7<>, and '77 (E. A. S. E.). An adult male January 188.5. near 

 Slapton (R.P.N., Zool. Is85, p. (58). A flock of about thirty on Kingsbridge estuary, 

 October 14th, 1886. Three adult males were shot on llie estuary at Kiiigsbridge, 

 January 1889. Some females on Sla])ton Ley in January 1891 (E. A. S. E., MS. Notes). 



At Plymouth it occurred in 1S55 (three) and in 1870 (B., MS. Notes); some 

 Noxembe'r 1875. January 1878, 1879, Jauuary 1881, December 1,SS2 (J. G., Zool. 187(5, 

 p. 4784; 1877, p. l;J2 ; 'l879, p. 48; 1881, p. 195; 188;j, p. UM\). 



Several were obtained on tiie Taw in 1878 (Zool. 1879, p. 129). 



We have occasionally seen the Golden-eye on the bay at Weston-super- 

 !Mare, but Mr. Cecil Smith did not consider it a common species in Somerset. 

 Although there are one or two instances reported of this species having 

 nested in the }sorth of Scotland, it is one of those Ducks Avhich go very 

 far north for their nesting-stations. The favourite position for the nest 

 is in the hollow of a tree, and the peasants in Sweden and Einland 

 suspend wooden boxc.s, Avhich the birds readily take to and nest in. 



\Ohservutiijir. — In Greenland and Iceland there is another s])ecics of 

 (iolden-cye — ]5arrow's (iolden-eyo (C'lan;/tda hhm(licfi), a somewhat 

 larger and stouter bird, differing also considerably in its idumage i'rom the 

 Common Golden-eye, having a greater development of crest and a more 

 ])urplc gloss on the head. As almost every bird to be found in the 

 Northern I'alajarctic I'egion may be expected to occur at some time or 

 other in tlic United Kingdom, it is quite ])robab]e this species may liavo 

 been obtained, and may have been confounded with our common l)ird ; 

 and tliere is a reported instance of a female Irnm Yorkshire (Zool. 1S(!4, 

 p. !)0:iS), wliieh failed, liowcver, to establish its authenticity (Varreli, 

 2nd ed. iv. p. 4150), as it proved to liave been received fronj Iceland (Zool. 

 Ib04, p. [)VJ2).\ 



