576 GOLDEN-EYE. 
air. It swims and dives well, but seldom walks on shore, and then in 
a waddling, awkward manner. Feeding chiefly on shell fish, small 
fry, &c., their flesh is less esteemed than that of the preceding. In 
the United States they are only winter visitors, leaving us again in. 
the month of April, being then on their passage-to the north to breed. 
‘They are said to build, like the Wood Duck, in hollow trees. 
The Golden-Eye is nineteen inches long, and twenty-nine in extent,’ 
and weighs on an average about ‘two pounds; the bill is black, short, 
rising considerably up in the forehead; the plumage of the head and 
part of the neck is somewhat tumid, and of a dark green, with violet 
reflections, marked near the corner of the mouth with an oval spot 
of white; the irides are golden yellow; rest of the neck, breast, 
and whole lower parts, white, except the flanks, which are dusky ; 
back and wings, black; over the latter a broad bed of white extends 
from the middle of the lesser coverts to the extremity of the seconda- 
ries; the exterior scapulars are also white; tail, hoary brown; rump 
and tail-coverts, black; legs and toes, reddish orange; webs, very 
large, and of a dark purplish brown; hind toe and exterior edge of the 
inner one, broadly finned; sides of the bill, obliquely ‘dentated; 
tongue, covered above with a fine, thick, velvety down, of a whitish 
color. 
The full-pliumaged female is seventeen inches in length, and twen- 
ty-seven inches in extent; bill, brown, orange near the tip; head and 
part of the neck, brown, or very dark drab, bounded below by a ring 
of white ; below that the neck is ash, tipped with white; rest of the 
lower parts, white; wings dusky, six of the secondaries and their 
greater coverts, pure white, except the tips of thé last, which are 
touched with dusky spots; rest of the wing-coverts, cinereous, mixed 
with whitish; back and scapulars, dusky, tipped with brown; feet, 
dull orange; across the vent, a band of cinerous; tongue, covered 
with the same velvety down as the male. : 
The young birds of the first season very much resemble the females, 
but may generally be distinguished by the white spot, or at least its 
rudiménts, which marks the corner of the mouth. Yet, in some cases, 
even this is variable, both old and young male birds occasionally 
wanting the spot. 
From an examination of many individuals of this species of both 
sexes, I have very little doubt that the Morillon of English, writers 
sometimes not more than two or three are seen during the winter among fifty or 
sixty immature birds. > 
The American Ducks belonging to this group are C. vulgaris albeola and C. Bar- 
rovii, or Rocky Mountain Garrot, a nei species, discovered by the overland Arctic 
expedition, and described and figured in the Northern Zoology. The following is 
the description; it has only yet been found in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. 
of Phebiatiedicag the general similarity in the form and markings of this bird, 
and the Commen Golden-Eye, the difference in their bills evidently points them out 
to be a distinct species. The Rocky Mountain Garrot is distinguished by the pure 
color of its dorsal plumage, and ‘the smaller portion of white on its wings and 
scapulars; its long flank feathers are also much more broadly bordered alheendl 
with black. The bases of the greater coverts in the Golden-Eye are black; but 
they are concealed, and do not form the black band so conspicuous in this species.” 
The total length of a male brought home by the expedition was twenty-two inches 
in length. —Ep. / 
