391 
GOLDEN EYES, OR GARROTS—GILPIN. 
row Digby Gut into warm, peaceful and teeming waters. The 
numerous and discordant family of gulls are the first to arrive, 
which thdy do in September, they and their new fledged young. 
Tbo passenger in the passing steamer hearing their wild cries, 
looks towards Bear Island or Goat Island, and seeing the sand 
whitened for many a yard, scarce knows whether it be surf or 
birds. Towards the middle of November, the sea coots, as they 
are locally and collectively called, come flying in, in parties be¬ 
tween four or five to ten or fifteen. These are the scoters 
(Oidemia americana. Swaim). The velvet duck or white wing 
(Melanetta, velvetina. Cassim), and the surf duck (Pelionetta, per- 
spocillata. Linn). These usually in small separate flocks, spread 
themselves along the shore diligently diving, though, when 
pressed by heavy weather, they seek a lee shore in large flocks 
of all species. In these birds, as well as in all which frequent our 
coasts, the number of adult plumaged males are as about one to 
four or five of female and immature ones. Coming sea-ward, also 
arrives about the same time the old wife, or old squaw (Harelda 
glacialis, Linn), and remains the winter. Whilst the sea is thus 
furnishing its peculiarly oceanic birds, our inland lakes, still wa¬ 
ters and runs or rapids, as their waters are swelled by the au¬ 
tumnal rains and over-flow, their feeding grounds, or are coated 
in ice, are contributing also to this mutual feeding ground. In 
November, the garrots appear in the basin, two species, (Buce- 
phala, Americana and B. islaniica. Bon and Gmelin). These, 
though loving the fresh water best, resemble, in their short neck, 
robust shape, and leg placed far backward, the oceanic families, 
and seem much at home on their new fishing grounds. With 
them comes another species of this sub-genus, the buffle-head or 
spirit duck, (Bucephala albeola, Linn), and the scaups, two species, 
identical except in size, (Fulix aflinis, Foster and F. marila, - 
Linn), the latter less pelagic in figure, yet still alert divers. 
The wood duck, (Aix sponsa, Linn), never leaves his inland wa¬ 
ters, but lingers around the open runs the whole winter. Not so 
the black duck (Anas obscura, Linn). This type of the fresh water 
ducks, with its slender bill, long neck, and legs placed well for¬ 
ward, fitted for the land, and to feed floating on shallow waters 
