"Duck-shooting 145 



Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Coast, throughout 

 the interior, and along the Atlantic. 



The breeding range is from the northern 

 United States to the Arctic sea. Small streams 

 and lakes are their favorite resorts; here they 

 select a hollow tree at a comfortable distance 

 from the nearest water and raise their brood. 

 The female undertakes their entire charge and 

 teaches them the golden-eye tricks. In the sum- 

 mer of 1895, while travelling through the Cascade 

 Range in British Columbia, we found nearly 

 every small lake had its brood of golden-eye. It 

 was early in August, and the birds were not 

 fledged. The flocks were surprisingly large, in 

 some instances consisting of twenty or more 

 young ducks, and with them one old bird. 

 When disturbed, the duck at once flew to the 

 farther end of the pond, directing the course of 

 the young ones by a guttural note, which I have 

 never at other times heard from the golden-eye. 

 They breed commonly as far south as northern 

 New England, often frequenting the same lakes 

 and streams as the American merganser. 



The golden-eye are in no hurry to leave their 

 northern home, and we hardly see them on the 

 coast before late October. They come in small 

 flocks, keeping pretty much to themselves, and 

 frequent the shallow, sandy bays, feeding on the 

 flats and bars, often going up the rivers to spend 



