GOLDEN EYE. 
361 
the latter a broad bed of white extends from the middle of the 
lesser coverts to the extremity of the secondaries; 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 velvetty down of a whitish colour. 
The full plumaged female is seventeen inches in length, and 
twenty-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, tipt with 
white; rest of the lower parts white; wings dusky, six of the 
secondaries and their greater coverts pure white, except the 
tips of the last, which are touched with dusky spots; rest of the 
wing coverts cinereous, mixed with whitish; back and scapu- 
lars dusky, tipt with brown; feet dull orange; across the vent a 
band of cinereous; tongue covered with the same velvetty 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 rudiments, 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 {Anas glaucion) is nothing more than the young male 
of the Golden-eye. 
The conformation of the trachea, or windpipe of the male of 
this species, is singular. Nearly about its middle it swells out to 
at least five times its common diameter, the concentric hoops 
or rings, of which this part is formed, falling obliquely into one 
another when the windpipe is relaxed; but when stretched, this 
part swells out to its full size, the rings being then drawn apart; 
this expansion extends for about three inches; three more be- 
low this it again forms itself into a hard cartilaginous shell, of 
an irregular figure, and nearly as large as a walnut; from the 
VOL. in. — 3 A 
