lOo British Diving Ducks 
female is ''yellowish with an inner ring of bluish, giving an appearance of green." The 
bill, he says, "is usually black with the terminal third orange-ochre, including the nail. 
Sometimes the entire bill is orange, though this is very rare ; females with a dull orange 
bill with the base dusky brownish-olive are more common." From notes on soft parts 
of certain females from Greenland I am able to corroborate this statement, and possess 
a female whose bill, although faded, can have had no dark markings in life. 
Immature Male. — In first plumage in October the head and upper neck is a dark 
blackish brown, with a pronounced bluish-purple gloss ; there is a broad white neck-ring ; 
the back of the neck above the mantle and side of the chest are brownish-grey with white 
edgings ; the mantle, scapulars, and back, blackish brown with greyish edgings on which 
is a slight purplish gloss; flanks and thighs, brownish-grey with white or light grey 
edgings ; under parts, white ; chest, light brown. Primaries, dark brown ; wing-coverts, 
black ; secondaries, white in centre and black on outside ; rest of the wing, brown, with 
white edges to median coverts. 
In November the new inner scapulars appear, and these at once give a character to the 
identification of the species. The black portion of the inner scapulars is much extended 
in Barrow's Golden-Eye, whereas in the Common Golden-Eye it is confined to the margin 
of the feathers. At this date, too, the first white feathers come in between the bill and the 
eye. These increase in number throughout the winter, whilst numbers of pure white 
feathers come on the chest until the brown of immaturity disappears. Thus the advance 
of plumage continues to take place until March, when the young male has gained a con- 
siderable portion of its first spring dress, which is more or less similar to the adult male, 
except that the black and white scapulars are never fully attained, nor are the hind neck or 
flanks complete. The wings and tail still show the bird to be immature until the latter part 
of June or early July, when the usual complete moult takes place, the whole of the bird 
going into a partial eclipse similar to the adult male. In September the eclipse is shed, 
and all traces of immaturity have disappeared, so that in the following month, or more 
correctly speaking November, the bird is adult, at about sixteen months. At first the 
feet are brownish ochre, with dusky webs. 
Adult Male. — The head and upper neck are black suffused with bright blue purple, or 
steel blue with no green sheen ; in front of the eye is a large crescentic white patch which 
in November is often slightly flecked with black where it meets the bill ; hind neck, chest, 
and under parts white ; mantle, scapulars, wing-coverts, back, black ; the central feathers 
of the scapulars are black and white, the inner feathers forming a white line from the 
shoulders to the wing-coverts ; the flanks are interspersed with black feathers where they 
overlap the wings ; middle secondaries white, secondary coverts in the centre black above, 
white below ; median coverts white in the centre and black edged with white, the remaining 
portion of the wings black except the primaries, which, with the tail, are brown ; thighs, 
brown. Feet and legs yellow, with black webs ; irides, bright golden yellow ; bill, bluish 
black. Total length, 22 inches ; wing, 9.75 inch ; bill, 1.40 inch. 
In the case of both adult male and female the bill is proportionately larger than in the 
Common Golden-Eye. It is much higher also at the top, where it joins the forehead, and 
seen from above, broader ; it becomes narrower as it projects, but has a larger and broader 
nail, so much so, the nail at the end of the bill extends over half its entire breadth, whereas 
