46 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
IJan, 19, 1901. 
American Wildfowl and How to 
Take Them.— XIX. 
BY GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL. 
XConiinued fretn page 25,] 
Ring-Neck Dock, Tufted Duck. 
Aythya collaris (Donov.). 
The adult male has back of head and crown loose and 
puffy, at times showing almost as a crest. The head, 
neck, breast, upper parts and under tail-coverts, black; 
the head sometimes glossed with purple and the back 
with greenish. There is a more or less distinct chestnut 
or reddish brown collar around the middle of the neck, 
and a white spot upon the chin. This speculum is bluish 
gray; sides of body waved with white and blackish lines. 
The under parts are white. The bill is dark grayish blue, 
with a black tip, and a very pale (in life nearly white) 
band across it, near the tip; the eyes are yellow. 
The female does not show the neck ring, and the bill 
is less plainly marked. The black of the male .changes 
to brown in the female. The fore part of head, all about 
the base of the bill, is nearly white. The lower parts of 
the body are white, sometimes marked with brown or 
brownish gray, growing darker toward the tail. The 
length is 16 to 18 inches. 
The female of the ring-neck duck is very similar to 
that of the redhead, but the former is darker, except 
about the bill, where the pale markings are much paler, 
often almost white. The difference in the bills is char- 
acteristic, that of the female ring-neck being much the 
shorter and broader. 
The ring-neck duck is by no means so abundant as 
many of our other species, and is quite commonly con- 
KING-ITECK DUCiq. 
fused with the little blackhead, which it closely re- 
sembles in habits. In fact, as a rule, gunners do not 
distinguish between the tufted duck and the little black- 
head, and when counting up their score at the end of the 
day always refer to this species as a blackhead. Its 
common names indicate this confusion. It is called 
ring-neck scaup, ring-neck blackhead, marsh bluebill, 
bastard broadbill, ring-billed blackhead, ring-billed shuf- 
fler, and sometimes it is called creek redhead, because 
of its resemblance to that species. I have also heard 
boatmen, who had happened to notice the red collar 
about tlie bird's neck, call it a hybrid between a black- 
head and a redhead. 
The ring-neck duck is found sparingly throughout 
almost the whole of North America. Its chief breeding 
grounds are north of the United States, but it probablj' 
used to breed also in suitable localities on the plains, and 
its nests have been taken near Calais, in Maine, as well 
as in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Its nest is built usually 
in thick cover, close to the water, and is a neater 
structure than most ducks' nests. The eggs are usually 
of a grayish ivory white, and number from eight to ten. 
This species is occasionally taken on the California 
coast, and also on that of Is^ew England, but it is no- 
where common. Even in the South, in that paradise of 
ducks — Currituck, Core and Albemarle sounds — these 
birds are few in number. 
They decoy well and are easily killed when they come 
up to the stools, although very swift flyers. 
It is said that this bird is more abundant on our in- 
land waters than on the sea coast. Even there, however, 
it can never be called an abundant species. Its flesh, 
under favorable circumstances, is excellent eating, and 
if it were more abundant it would be one of the most 
desirable of our fowl. 
The Golden-Eye, "Whistler. 
Glaucionetia clangula (Bonap.). 
The adult male has the head somewhat puffy, but the 
feathers longer on the back of the head, forming more 
or less of a crest. The head and upper part of the neck 
are dark glossy green, with purple reflections and a 
roundish and sometimes oval white spot just back of the 
bill and below the eye. The lower neck, fore back, 
scapulars and wing coverts, with the secondaries and 
most of the under parts, pure white; the back, long 
scapulars, and the base of the secondaries, black. The 
long feathers of the wings and their coverts are black- 
ish. The tail is ashy gray; the bill black; eye yellow; 
legs and feet yellowish red. The total length is about 
20 inches. 
The female has the head and upper part of the neck 
brown. There is a white ring about the lower neck, 
and the upper breast is gray. The back is blackish 
brown. The white on the wing is chiefly confined to 
the secondaries. The under parts are white; the tail is 
dark brown ; bill sometimes yellowish, but more often 
brownish; legs and feet as in the male. 
The American golden-eye has been separated by nat- 
uralists from the bird of Europe and called a variety, on 
no better ground than that it is slightly larger than the 
Old World form. Naturalists are not agreed on this 
point, and sportsmen are not greatly interested in such 
fine distinctions. 
The golden-eye is a bird of wider distribution, breed- 
ing throughout the northern parts of the Northern 
Hemisphere and in summer pursuing its migrations as 
far south as th« Southern United States and even be- 
yond to Cuba. It is a bird familiar to all sportsmen, 
but from the standpoint of the epicure it is not highly 
regarded. It has been found breeding as far north as 
Alaska, and undoubtedly is scattered in summer, in 
moderate numbers, all over the British possessions. It 
breeds in Maine and also in Massachusetts, but probably- 
not south of that. I have found the golden-eye com- 
mon, in summer, in the high Rocky Mountains, not far 
south of the parallel of 49 degrees, but am unable to say' 
whether it was this or the next species. 
The golden-eye is one of the few tree breeding ducks, 
AMERICA GOLDEN-EYE. 
choosing for this purpose some hollow limb or broken- 
off stump in which to lay its eggs; these are pale gray- 
ish green in color and are said to be from six to eight. 
Concerning the breeding habits of this species, the. 
veteran naturalist, Mr, Geo. A. Boardman. said ' in 
Forest and Stream: 
"Fifty years ago we used to have six different tree 
ducks breeding on our river: Barrow's golden-eye and 
the bufflehead (albeola) rare, but the common golden- 
eye, the American merganser, hooded merganser and 
wood duck abundant. About fifty years ago pickerel 
were put into our waters, which soon put an end to most 
of our wild ducks breeding, as the pickerel ate up all the 
chick ducks except in the few lakes or ponds that were 
free from pickerel. Near to Calais are several ponds 
and lakes that are free from those fish, and the tree 
ducks bring their young to those lakes for safety. 
"I was at the Kendrick Lake, and a lad that lived near 
by was with me. A duck (whistler) came flying low 
toward us, when the lad threw up his hat with a shout, 
when the old duck dropped a young one that fell near 
us that was at least ten days old. The old one went for 
it so quickly I almost lost it, but I got it and put it in 
my pocket for a specimen. We were near the lake, and 
the old duck also, when we saw she had four others in 
the water. The boy says if we keep quiet she will go 
away and bring others, or if she is afraid of us very much 
she will take those across the lake or to the other lake. 
They were getting near to some water grass, when the 
old duck made a flutter, caught one and went across the 
lake; it was hardly two minutes before she returned and 
took another. 
"I don't think she took them by her mouth, and the 
one she dropped, if it had been in her mouth we should 
have seen it. Mr. Eastman, father of the lad, said they 
often took their young from one lake or river to another 
if they thought them in danger, and said he had seen 
them bring the young from the nest to the water and 
then in their bills, but, to go any distance, or if they are 
any size, carry them pressed to the body by the feet, and 
the boys often by a shout made them drop their young. 
They brought me several different kinds afterward, 
wood duck, whistlers and hooded mergansers, but no 
young of the large merganser." 
The whistler, as it is frequently called, although re- 
sorting to the fresh waters during the breeding season, 
is much at home on the salt water in autumn and winter. 
It is an expert diver and feeds largely on shellfish, and 
when it can obtain them, on small minnows. On the 
other hand, it readily eats grain and frequents the wild 
rice fields of the interior and the fresh marshes of the 
coast, and when it has lived on grain for some time its 
flesh is very good eating. The name whistler, so com- 
monly applied to it along the seacoast, is given because 
of the quivering, wliistling noise made by the wings 
while the bird is flying, which is often recognizable long 
before the bird itself can be seen. Other names for this 
species are golden-eye, from its yellow iris; Conjuring 
and spirit duck, from the rapidity with which it dives; 
brass-eye and brass-eyed whistler, whistle-wing, merry- 
wing, great-head, bull-head, iron-head, cob-head and 
cub-head. 
While the whistler is one of our most beautiful ducks, 
it is not highly regarded by those who have an oppor- 
tunity to kill better fowl, and like the little dipper and 
ruddy duck and the mergansers, it is often allowed to 
pass over the decoys without being shot at. It is not a 
bird that decoys readily, and as a rule offers little sport; 
but at many points in New England and Canada, where 
betters ducks are rare, its pursuit offers some reward to 
the gunners. 
Barrow's Golden-Eye. 
Glaucionctta islandica (Gmel.). 
Adult male extremely similar to the golden-eye, but 
larger and with the head and upper neck bluish black, 
with purplish reflections instead of greenish, with the 
spot at the base of the bill and in front of the eye, tri- 
angular or crescent-shaped, and with very much less 
white on the wing, this usually being confined to two 
long bars with a short bar between them. 
The female is much as in the ordinary whistler. The 
cellar about her neck is narrower than in the whistler; 
the white on the wing is less and is crossed by a black 
bar. The grayish on the breast, sides and flank is 
wider in this species than in the whistler. 
Barrow's golden-eye is much less common than the 
ordinary whistler. Like that species, it is a Northern 
bird, but it appears to be much less abundant in Europe 
than even in this country. I have frequently seen golden- 
eyes breeding in the lakes in the high Rocky Mountains, 
which were probably of this species, but I was never so 
fortunate as to have any of them in the hand. Like the 
whistlei". Barrow's golden-eye breeds in trees, laying 
eight to ten eggs, grayish-green in color. Mr. C. W. 
Shepherd found this' duck breeding in Iceland, where, 
in the absence "of trees, it built its nest in holes in the 
cracks and crevices of the lava. Barrow's golden-eye 
has been found in Alaska, on the Yukon River, and at 
Sitka, and specimens have been taken at other points 
in the North.' Mr. Boardman believes that this species 
breeds in the woods of Calais, Me., though as yet their 
nests have not been discovered. Mr. Nelson states that 
this species is a winter resident on Lake Michigan, and 
is proabbly found generally through the interior wherever 
there is open water, A number of specimens have been 
taken on the coast of Massachusetts. Dr. Elliot has 
found it quite abundant on the St. Lawrence River, near 
Ogdensburgh, and has frequently killed it there over 
decoys. He. says: "The bird would fly up and down the 
river, doubtless coming from and going to Lake Erie, 
stopping occasionally in the coves to feed and floating 
down with the current for a considerable distance, when 
they would rise and fly up stream again. My decoys 
were always placed in some cove or bend of the stream 
where the current was least strong, for I noticed the 
birds- rarely settled on the water where it was running 
swiftly. This duck decoys readily in such situations, and 
will come right in, and if permitted settle among the 
wooden counterfeits. They sit lightly upon the water 
and rise at once without effort or much splashing. The 
flight is very rapid, and is accompanied with the same 
whistling of the wings sS noticeable in the common 
golden-eye. In stormy weather this bird keeps close 
barrow's golden-eye. 
to the banks, seeking shelter from the winds. It dives 
as expertly as its relative, and frequently remains under 
water for a considerable time. The flesh of those killed 
upon the river was tender and of good flavor, fish evi- 
dently not having figured much as an article of their diet." 
Another Long: Island Conviction. 
Manorvilue. Jan. 9. — Gilbert W. Raynor, chairman 
of the Town Board of Audit, president of the Manorville 
Gun Club, deacon in the church, and ex-Justice of the 
Peace, was arrested here on Saturday last by Game Pro- 
tector John E. Overton for shooting quail out of the sea- 
son, and brought before Ju.stice E. W. Lane. Mr. Ray- 
nor asked for time in which to procure counsel, and said 
he would want the trial by jury, so the request was 
granted and the trial set down for 11 o'clock yesterday 
morning. Mr. Raynor appeared somewhat late, and said 
he was not ready for trial as he had no counsel, but Mr. 
Overton stating that he had no counsel either^ but was 
ready with his witnesses, the Justice proceeded to hear 
the case. Mr. George V. Hutton swore he saw Mr. Ray- 
nor shoot into a flock of quail at a point not far from the 
Manor depot, and saw one quail drop. Mr. R. L. Wells 
testified to hearing the report of a gun about the time 
mentioned by Mr. Hutton. Mr. Raynor refused to tes- 
tify, but stated that he was out with his gun and dog upon 
the afternoon in question and in conversation outside ad- 
mitted that his dog pointed a flock of quail, as sworn to 
by Mr. Hutton, but claims that he didn't shoot, but only 
raised the birds to count them. Justice Lane found him 
guilty and imposed a penalty of $25 or twenty-five days 
in jail. Mr. Raynor left his check, but declared he would 
appeal. Those who wish to see the law obeyed are com- 
mending both the Justice and Protector Overton for 
pushing this case and showing that the law is intended 
to apply to people of all stations in life, regardless of 
wealth and influence. There were witnesses present ready 
to testify that this was not Mr. Raynor's first offense 
against the game law. — Brooklyn Eagle. 
North American Fish and Game Association* 
Quebec, Jan. 8. — Editor Forest and Stream: I am in- 
structed by the Honorable S. N. Parent, president of the 
North American Fish and Game Association, to call a 
meeting of the said Association, which meeting will he. 
held in Montreal, in the Government offices, St. Gabriel 
street, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 10 A. M., and at which 
you are respectfully invited to attend. 
L. Z. JoNCAS, Secretary. 
Glens Falls, N. Y., Jan. 12.— Editor Forest and 
Stream:' Will you kindly give publicity through the col- 
umns of your paper the inclosed notice of the annual 
meeting of the North American 'Fish and Game Protective 
Association ? 
I would like to add a cordial personal invitation to all 
interested in these matters, especially regarding the 
harmonizing of fish and game laws, as between the States 
and Provinces, to be present at that meeting. 
C. H. Wn,soN, 
Vice-President for New York. 
