CLANGULA GLAUCION. 
Golden-eye. 
Anas elangiila et A. glaucion, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 43. 
hyemalis, Pall. Zoog. Rosso-Asiat., tom. ii. p. 270. 
Clangula chrgsophthalmos, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xii. p. 182, pi. 56. 
vulgaris, Flem, Hist, of Brit. Anim., p. 126. 
leucomelas, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., p. 927. 
— peregrina, Brehm, ibid., p. 929. 
glaucion, Brehm, ibid., p. 929. 
Glaucion clangula, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst., p. 53. 
Anas (^Glaucion') clangula, Schrenck, Vog. des Amurlandes, p. 481. 
This ornamental species of Diving-Duck is a winter visitant to the British Islands, over the whole of which, 
at that season, it is more or less abundantly distributed, sometimes singly, at others in pairs, and not un- 
freqnently in sufficient numbers to be designated small flocks. It does not confine itself to the shores or 
the tidal arms of the sea, but often ascends such rivers as the Thames, the Kibble, and the Annan, and fre- 
quently resorts to lakes, large ponds, and other sheets of water ; in most instances, however, the birds met 
with in inland situations are females, particularly those that frequent the smaller streams. The gaily attired 
males are more shy and keep out of harm’s way with the customary caution of all highly coloured birds. To 
watch the stately-swimming old Drakes, Avith their large green heads and full golden-coloured eye, through 
an opera glass is very interesting. When engaged in feeding, their diving-power and the quickness with 
which they descend are truly maiwellous ; and the singular attitudes assumed by the male during the season 
of courtship cannot but please and astonish all wbo have an opportunity of witnessing them. The e.xtra- 
ordinary manifestations of love exhibited by the males in the morning and the early part of the day, during 
the months of spring, have often been seen in tbe Gardens of the Zoological Society in the Regent’s Park. 
I have attempted to depict one of these outre positions in the accompanying Plate, on reference to which it 
will be seen that the head is throAAui back on the lower part of the back, with the bill at a right angle to the 
body, an attitude which is repeatedly assumed as the males approach each other, or sloAvly pirouette, as it 
were, in circles round the female. 
The short thick bill of the Golden-eye, its great feet, and dense plumage clearly Indicate some peculiarity 
in its habits ; and we accordingly find that they are very different from those of the Mallard, the Shoveller, the 
Pintail or the Teal. These latter birds live principally on grasses, aquatic plants, and worms ; the 
Golden-eye, on the other hand, subsists upon aquatic insects, shelled mollusks, and other objects wbicb are 
only to be obtained at the bottom of the water, and hence the reason of its continuous immersions ; the throat, 
stomach, and gizzard of a female, sent to me by Jobn Michell, Esq., of Forcett Park, Darlington, were 
crammed with Notoiiecta glauca, tAVO species of Corixa, and the larvae of a species of gnat. 
The Golden-eye does not breed in England. In the higher parts of Norway and Sweden, especially 
in Lapland, and Finmark, the nursery of so many of our Avinter visitants, it breeds in abundance, and of 
course in many other northern countries ; the distribution of the Golden-eye is, in fact, so extensive 
that very fcAv of the other members of the family enjoy a Avider range ; for although not included by Jerdon 
in ‘ The Birds of India,’ it inhabits all the countries of Europe, Siberia, northern China, and Japan, is 
equally numerous throughout the northern portions of America, and I believe there are few countries within 
the arctic circle from Avhich it is absent. 
Mr. Dann informed Yarrell that the Golden-eye is “ numerously spread over the Avhole of Lapland, as far as 
the Avooded districts extend, both to the Avestward range of mountains which separate NorAvay from SAveden, as 
Avell as the eastern parts. It breeds in small numbers on tbe coast of Noinvay, but not from Stavanger 
nortlnvards, and on the Dovre Fjeld mountains. It prefers rivers to lakes, particularly the neighbourhood of 
falls and rapids. The Lapps and settlers place boxes Avitb an entrance-hole in the trees on the banks of the 
rivers and lakes, in Avhicb the Golden-eye lays its eggs. Although the birds are always robbed of their eggs 
they gain nothing by experience, but seem to have such a predilection for holes in trees, that if such cav ities 
are to be found, artificial or natural, they always appear to prefer them to any other locality. . . . There 
have been many speculations and opinions as to the mode tbe Golden-eye adopts to carry its young down from 
the holes of the trees Avherein they are hatched, and which are frequently ten or twelve feet from the o-round 
and at some distance from the vvater. That the bird does transport them is beyond doubt. The Lapps, 
Avhom I frequently interrogated, Avere ignorant of it, beyond the mere fact of their carrying them ; and there 
