XXIX 



THE GOLDEN-EYE AND OTHER SEA-DUCKS 



THE golden-eye, often called the whistler, is well 

 known from the loud whistling noise made by 

 the wings. It is a very handsome duck, but nowhere 

 so common as many other varieties. Like most of the 

 other ducks the whistler goes to the far North to nest 

 and returns to the United States in the autumn, where 

 it is widely distributed throughout the country. The 

 golden-eye builds its nest in a hole in a tree, some- 

 where near a lake or stream. There are usually six 

 or eight eggs. It flies with great rapidity and goes 

 through the branches like a ruffed-grouse. It does 

 not come readily to decoys and more often not at all. 



The golden-eye is generally seen singly, in pairs, or 

 in small flocks. 



About the coast the golden-eye feeds on shell-fish, 

 and is therefore not very good to eat, but in the in- 

 terior it feeds on grasses and roots and is better. It 

 is often seen with the little broad-bill and the buffle- 

 head on bays and ponds and is a wonderful diver, 

 going under usually before the shot reaches it. The 

 game record of the Winous Point Club (Sandusky 

 marshes) would indicate that it is there a rare. bird. 

 In years when there were thousands of ducks killed, 

 the record shows but one or two of the golden-eye 

 ducks and often none. I found a few of these birds 



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