144 The Water-fowl Family 



Measurements — Length, 17 inches; wing, 8 inches; tail, 4.50 

 inches; oilmen, 1.30 inches; tarsus, 1.40 inches; height of bill 

 from point of angle to nearest cutting edge less than the dis- 

 tance between the farthest edge of the nostril and nearest 

 feathers at base of bill ; in distinction from female Barrow's 

 golden-eye. 



Young male — Similar to female, but larger, and head not crested. 



Downy young — Upper parts, including the upper half of the head, 

 sides, and thighs, deep, sooty brown, lighter on the jugulum. 

 Four pair of grayish white spots, situated one on the posterior 

 border of each wing, one on each side of the back, one on each 

 side of the rump, one on each flank ; chin and throat, white ; 

 remaining lower parts, grayish white. 



Eggs — Ten to seventeen in number, bright pea-green in color, 

 measure 2.40 by 1.70 inches. 



Habitat — Breeds from Maine, New York, Minnesota, North Dakota, 

 Montana, probably Colorado, Alberta, and British Columbia, 

 north to Newfoundland, Labrador, Hudson Bay, the Mackenzie 

 Delta, Yukon Valley, and Cook Inlet, Alaska. Winters from 

 New Brunswick, Maine, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, 

 Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Nevada, British Columbia, 

 and the Aleutian Islands, south to the West Indies, Mexico, 

 and California. Occurs in Bermuda. 



We associate this sprightly duck with cold 

 weather. The smallest ice holes, when all the bays 

 and lakes are frozen, give it a chance for a liveli- 

 hood. The golden-eye remains fat and contented 

 under these circumstances, when other members 

 of the duck family quickly show the results of 

 starvation rations. This bird has a wide acquaint- 

 ance; in summer the Eskimo, in winter the 

 Florida Indian and the Mexican, with all varieties 

 of gunners in between. The American golden- 

 eye is common on the lakes and streams of the 



