m HANDBOOK OF BRITISH INLAND BIRDS 
GOLDEN-EYE. 
{Clangula glaucion,) 
Rattlewings, Morillon (female and young). — 
The Golden-eye is a fairly frequent winter visitor to 
inland waters in many parts of the country, as well 
as to the coast, but has never been known to breed 
in Britain. The old Drake has a black head and 
back, with a white breast and belly, heavy white 
markings on the wings, and a conspicuous white, 
oval patch beneath each eye. Birds in this full 
feather, however, are scarce by comparison with 
the Drakes in immature plumage, which are very 
like the Ducks, and with them are still often called 
Morillons, and thought to be a separate species. 
Their plumage is dusky brown, with white bands on 
the wing, and larger or smaller whitish or greyish 
patches about the throat and breast. The various 
states of plumage in the Golden-eye and Tufted 
Duck are at first very confusing ; but the Golden- 
eye has conspicuous white markings upon the wing 
itself, and the Tufted Duck only on the flank 
beneath it, while the Golden-eye's breast is white, or 
its whitish-brown equivalent, and the Tufted Duck's 
is black, the white not extending upward from the 
belly to the breast at all. The Golden-eye feeds by 
diving, and eats both animal and vegetable food. 
