up rivers that fall into', the sea; they are, <alsGg sometimes I
obtained on in la n d waters, both in decoys an d '% the gun.
They are-active in the water, swimming-and diving with I
great rapidity, and when- in pursuit > of their- food, ‘which
consists principally of small fishes; -if five or six of theS§J
ducks are together, they do not all diVe at- tie ' same ^inadri
but some of them, remain on thb Stllfsc^-as. sentinels, yfhere
theylgeep a good look-out to piev8ntSK§H^ approached and
surprised by an enemy. ^The fle^hscsf this species, lillepthat
of other dunks fleding ^n^fish, is* not in m u c h # to a t^A y
Young birds are better than Old"ones,^but tl^p^UScular parts
are dark and coarse both in appearance^and' %foU'n>■*
The Golden Eyejis' a -regulat'Winter'yisilef toTrelSiid, as
well as to England and Scotland; it also' visits
.Shetland, but allTS^them leave ift .spring for.Sqa|iiMvia,
and countries still lartfier north. Mr. Hewitso'nfydien with
his party in Norway,-found' a nest" of the .Gulden ^E y ^ ri*
was in a tree,,in a hole latelyfoccupied by the Great Black-
Woodpecker, at the height of ten or "twelve foetUfxom dhel
ground; but though Tthe aperture. inside was about a foot in
diameter, and. lined with -the soft down of-theTfed, tbeex-
temal opening was so small* that it Was with' difficulty the
hand could be inserted.; The egga were green, andmeasurpd
two inches and. three-eighths in length, by one inch five-
eighths in breadth.
The notes supplied ,me by Richard Dann, Esq., are as
follows ^4^‘^The Golden Eye is numerously spread u<Ver 4he:
whole of Lapland, as far as the wooded districts Extend, both
to the westward range of mountains -which separate Norway-
from Sweden, as :w,ell as the eastern parts. I t breed's, in
small numbers fon the coast of Norway, but n.ot;fr.om ;Sta-,
vanger northward, and- on- the! D ofre. FieH; mountain^: I t
prefers rivers to lakes, particularly the neighbourhood, of fallSi
and rapids. ' The Laps and settlers place boxes, vyith an
entrance-hole, in the trees on the banks of the rivers and
lakes in which the Golden Eye lays, its eggs.' Although the
birds are! always robbed o f ,their, eggs, they gain nothing by
experience, »but; seem to have such a predilection for holes in
#oe^tfiatfi|;’sueh cavities are-to bo found, artificial or natural,
they always;:jap>pear -to -.prefer them to , any other locality.
The-Golden Eyo^seems ,never;to. -be driven , from the north
except - by iffhu. waters freezing up. During the long and
dreadful swifter, of the Golden Eye. did not altogether
; the/streams at Trolfiattari, under the falls, and at
Various rapids ,and ©pen .parts of :the rivers/ the Golden Eyes
,Voxe^ in||fhsiderable numbers', all the winter, in company with
tlfe^Goosanderj .while* all the. Ducks, Mallards, and Wigeons,
OYef^otarvedlt%s death and found' dead upon the ice. There
havo bgen sp^cp.latidns‘ and ^opinions as to ,thte mode the
GoldemEye adopts to carry; its'young down from the holes
of dh^ itrlesrin which they are .hatched, which’ are frequently
■twelve,,;bri fifteen,^#? from the ground,- and at some distance
JrQin.;the .water. . That the'vbirdj does transport them is beyond
.doubt.' Therfl ip, I bef e ^ l l b u t . one person who has
ever actually -witnessed^ the manner.. M. Nilsson was not
«awaje'.fjjfritr':. Thu>L.aps-, ^ om i I frequently interrogated,
■3^ere,ijajsb-:ignorant,,beyondj|thec.mere' fact of the bird carrying
them. The<clergyman, howler, at Quickiock, in Lulean
Lapmark, neafc&M source of that chain of vast lakes whence
* ftlfgbLulean river" flows, ,was oncef?& witness® . Contrary to’ the
general character - of the Lap clergymen in Lapland, this
gentleman, with Tittle to. employ him, took a great interest
in natural history and botany. While botanizing by the
•side of. the lake near Quickiock, where Golden Eyes breed
in great numbers, he saw a Golden Eye drop into the water,
and at the same instant a young one appeared ; after watching
some time, and seeing the bird fly backwards and forwards
from the nest five times, he was enabled to make out
that the young bird was held under the bill, but supported
,by the neck of the parent.”