﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  209 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  The 
  Golden-eye 
  can 
  be 
  recognized 
  at 
  a 
  considerable 
  dis- 
  

   tance, 
  whether 
  flying 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  water, 
  by 
  its 
  stocky 
  build, 
  fluffy 
  head, 
  and 
  

   distinctly 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  coloration. 
  Our 
  other 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  ducks 
  

   with 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  confused 
  by 
  inexperienced 
  observers, 
  are 
  the 
  

   sawbills 
  and 
  the 
  Buffle-head; 
  but 
  the 
  longer 
  body 
  and 
  slender 
  beak 
  of 
  the 
  

   mergansers 
  give 
  them 
  an 
  entirely 
  different 
  appearance, 
  while 
  the 
  Buffle- 
  

   head 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  smaller 
  bird, 
  and 
  the 
  head 
  though 
  fluffy 
  has 
  a 
  large 
  white 
  

   patch 
  on 
  the 
  back. 
  A 
  peculiar 
  whistling 
  sound 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  Golden-eye 
  

   when 
  in 
  flight 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  excellent 
  characteristic, 
  when 
  combined 
  with 
  its 
  shape 
  

   and 
  coloration. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  impossible 
  to 
  distinguish 
  this 
  species 
  from 
  

   the 
  Barrow 
  golden-eye 
  at 
  a 
  distance 
  and 
  the 
  females 
  and 
  young 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  

   species 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  determined 
  by 
  careful 
  comparison 
  and 
  measurement. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  The 
  Golden-eye, 
  Whistler, 
  Brass-eye, 
  Great 
  -head, 
  Garrot, 
  

   and 
  Whistle-wing, 
  as 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  called, 
  inhabits 
  the 
  open 
  waters 
  of 
  

   every 
  portion 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  State 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter, 
  arriving 
  from 
  the 
  

   north 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  November 
  and 
  going 
  north 
  again 
  about 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  

   April, 
  being 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  characteristic 
  winter 
  ducks 
  on 
  our 
  lakes 
  and 
  

   rivers. 
  Mr 
  H. 
  C. 
  Higgins 
  of 
  Cincinnatus, 
  N. 
  Y., 
  reports 
  a 
  young 
  male 
  

   taken 
  in 
  Cortland 
  county, 
  July 
  15, 
  1899. 
  ^^ 
  Barnum, 
  in 
  his 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  

   of 
  Onondaga 
  county, 
  mentions 
  one 
  case 
  of 
  its 
  breeding 
  there, 
  but 
  otherwise 
  

   it 
  is 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  nest 
  in 
  this 
  State 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  region, 
  

   where 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  as 
  a 
  summer 
  resident 
  and 
  as 
  breeding 
  by 
  Dr 
  

   Merriam, 
  and 
  also 
  by 
  Ralph 
  and 
  Bagg, 
  who 
  found 
  young 
  birds 
  in 
  Hamilton 
  

   ■county 
  during 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  June 
  1878 
  and 
  in 
  1879. 
  

  

  The 
  Whistler 
  feeds 
  mostly 
  on 
  shellfish 
  and 
  other 
  aquatic 
  animals 
  

   which 
  it 
  secures 
  by 
  diving, 
  sometimes 
  in 
  water 
  upward 
  of 
  3 
  5 
  feet 
  in 
  depth. 
  

   It 
  seems 
  to 
  delight 
  in 
  the 
  coldest 
  weather 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  its 
  feeding 
  grounds 
  

   are 
  not 
  frozen 
  over, 
  and 
  every 
  duck 
  hunter 
  is 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  resonant 
  

   whistle 
  of 
  its 
  wings 
  as 
  it 
  approaches 
  his 
  "blind" 
  upon 
  the 
  frozen 
  shore. 
  

   This 
  bird 
  is 
  not 
  highly 
  prized 
  for 
  food, 
  but 
  young 
  whistlers 
  when 
  properly 
  

   cooked 
  are 
  as 
  good 
  as 
  bluebills. 
  The 
  note 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  Whistler 
  is 
  a 
  single 
  

   peep, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  kicking 
  up 
  of 
  the 
  feet, 
  while 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  thrown 
  far 
  

  

  