393 
GOLDEN EYES, OR GARROLS—GILPIN. 
known locally as Whistlers, and the Spirit duck or Buffle-head^ 
locally Dippers, have been formed into the sub-genus Bucephala, 
by Dr. Baird, in his catalogue of the Birds in the Smithsonian 
Institute. In this sub-genus the males have all tumid head 
crests, and parti-colored plumage, The females ashy-brown—* 
tails of sixteen feathers, robust necks, round bodies, legs far be¬ 
hind, seek their food by diving, escape from enemies by diving 
rather than flying—can, from backward position of leg scarce 
walk, but with wings and tail stretched, and webbed feet, ob¬ 
liquely striking the sand with awkward splash, and in a semi- 
erect position drag themselves a short distance along. They are 
frequently seen sleeping upon the rocks, and oftener perhaps upon 
the water. They arrive from the fresh-water lakes during No¬ 
vember, probably the rise in the waters of the lakes as well as 
the early ice driving them out, and are seen spreading themselves 
about sixty yards apart along the shore and diligently diving for 
food. In February or the last of it, other thoughts than food 
steal over them. The warm February sun often finds the male 
with tumid head dress, drooping neck and tail erect swimming 
in short circles, about two or three females seemingly avoiding 
his advances. In March this powerful instinct begins to send 
them to the far north for reproduction. The last of April or 
.. 
beginning of May finds a few loiterers about the deserted shores. 
Such are the habits of this sub-genus about the Digby Basin, and 
no doubt in many bays and coves of Nova Scotia. In studying 
the Golden-eyes, I soon found there were two varieties if not 
two species amongst them, and that though they frequently kept 
together, yet very often each kind kept by itself, that the males 
were easily distinguished, but the females and young birds were 
very hard to separate, and that some of the immature males and 
females of each variety had parti-coloured (yellow and black) 
bills, whilst all the adult males and many females had dark-blue 
bills, the number of yellow bills being very few comparatively. 
I found that the Rocky mountain Golden eye, though described 
by Gmelin, according to Dr. Baird, but usually known by Dr. 
Richardson’s description as an inhabitant of the arctic regions, 
and by Nuttal, said to be found in the Rocky mountains only, 
