GOLDEN-EYE. 
65 
bed of white extends from the middle of the lesser coverts to the 
extremity of the secondaries ; the exterior scapulars are also while ; 
tail hoary brown ; rump and tail-coverts black ; legs and toes red- 
dish 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 color. 
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 dai’k 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 se- 
condaries, 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 scapulars dusky, 
tipt with brown ; feet dull orange ; across the vent a band of cine- 
reous ; 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 Pennant 
(Anas glaucion) is nothing more than the young male of the Gold- 
en-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 an- 
other 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 below this 
R 
VOL. VIII. 
