GO L DENE Y E .
CLAN GULA GLAWION
Tnouon much time was spent in the attempt, I never succeeded in verifying the fact of this species
bleeding in Great Britain. The female I repeatedly observed during summer ON remote Highland lochs,
and on more than one occasion a hird was delected living from old and weather-beaten pine-woods, where
doubtless her nest was concealed; sweeping rapidly beneath the branches in the shade thrown by the dense
timber, it was by no means easy to keep the small grey-tinted fowl in view. For several days subsequent to the
11th of June, 16C9, I observed a male, at times iu company with a female, di-porling himself on the waters at
the east end of Loch Slyn in Boss-shire. While watching the pair the female on one occasion disapp-'iind
without attracting attention; shortly after, however, she came in siuht, skimming from the plantation of
Scotch firs standing to the east of the loch, and rejoined HIE drake, when both birds, evidently disturbed by the
approach of the punt, rose on wing and left the water. The male evinced a decided aversion to permit
of a close inspection ; judging, however, from the nearest view I was enabled to obtain, he appeared to he iu
full adult plumage. This is the only instance where the mature drake came under my notice later than the
first week in April.
This species is common during autumn, winter, and spring all round the Scotch coasts, as well as on the
inland lochs. The numbers decrease somewhat towards the southern counties of England, though I have
occasionally known several small parties and single birds to remain for some weeks about the muddy harbours
and estuaries of the Susses and Hampshire coasts. I find by my notes for 1SG8 that Cioldcneyes had
arrived aud taken up their quarters along the east coasts of Boss-shire by the 22ml of October, a few TTTAGGKN
having been noticed a week or ten days earlier. There is very little difference ¡11 the date at which thesa
birds reach the Norfolk waters; aud though seldom seen so early otf the Sussex coast, I remarked a pair iu
immature plumage resorting almost constantly to the pool iu .Maraziou Marsh, NEAR 1'EN/anee, from the 23rd to
the 29th of October, 1880.
Compared with the number of immature birds and females, the full-plumaged drakes are exceedingly
scarce in all parts of the country ; it is seldom they are observed earlier than the middle or latter end of
November. But few of these attractive birds are driven to our shores till severe weather accompanied by
protracted frosts has set in ; occasionally in open winters I have failed to notice a single specimen in perfect
adult dress, though numbers in the various intermediate stages might be met with.
The immature drakes frequently remain late on our roasts; on April 1st, 1809, while gunniug on the
Dornoch Firth, 1' fell in with a small party of half a dozen (Joldencyes near Morangie. After firing the
big gun, I discovered that the whole were males, the dead and wounded consisting of one adult and
five immature, the latter all in much the same stages or plumage. On the 28th of April, 1873, a pair (an
immature male and female) were shot, on llickling Itroad; these birds rose frum the hank of one of the hills
on which they were resting when alarmed by the punt. On no other occasion have I fallen In with this