72 



154. Old-Squaw, south-southerly, coween. long-tailed duck, old-wipe. 

 COCKAWEE. FR. — Le CANARD A LONGUE QUEUE. Harelda hyemalis. L, 21. (Projection 

 of middle tail feather beyond others, 4 -SO— 5.) A medium-sized duck showing remarkable 

 seasonal change of plumage. Male in spring has a seal-brown breast, neck, head, and 

 back; an almost white facial mask; and ochraceous striping over wings and at base of 

 hindneck. Winter plumage white, with black or dark brown breast, back, and line across 

 shoulders; a spot of same colour over the hindcheeks and upperneck; white stripes over 

 wings. In both seasons male has two greatly elongated middle tail feathers about 8 

 inches from base to tip and projecting 4 or 5 inches beyond other tail feathers. Plumage 

 of female is intermediate between the above two plumages, showing mostly white without 

 any sharp line between the dark of the breast and the white underparts as in males. 



Distinctions. Males are characteristic; females may be confused only with those of 

 next species, but are much lighter underneath and head is mostly white instead of mostly 

 dark. 



Field Marks. Long tail of the male, and head mostly white with dark cheek mark in 

 juvenile and female plumages. 



Nesting. On ground, near water hidden imder bushes or grass. 



Distribution. Breeds across the continent in the far north. More common on the 

 coast or Great Lakes than on smaller bodies of water. 



This is, with us, essentially a winter duck. It haunts our harbours 

 and often congregates about the mouths of sewers remaining as long as 

 open water prevails, even throughout winter. It is a great diver and a 

 fish-eater, but is nearly worthless as a table bird. It descends to great 

 depths after food and is sometimes taken in the fishermen's nets far from 

 land and at surprising depths — in one known case 90 feet. 



155. Harlequin Duck, rock duck, lord and lady. fr. — le canard his- 

 TRiON. Histrionicus histrionicus. L, 17. A small duck appropriately named after 

 particoloured Harlequin. Male's general coloration is from dull slate-blue to blue-black, 

 but on this ground is arranged a striking series of crescents, stripes, circular spots, triangles, 

 and a collar of pure white, each narrowly bordered with black that makes it stand out in 

 striking contrast ; a brilliant splash of rich chestnut adorns the flanks and borders the sides 

 of the crown. Female very dull and subdued, all brownish with white spotting on abdomen 

 aggregated into a not quite continuous and even middle area. An obscure white blotch 

 in front of and below eye and another more sharply defined one over ear. 



Distinctions. Male cannot be confused with that of any other species. Female 

 resembles female Buffle-head in size and colouring, but has a more or less speckled bellj' 

 instead of an evenly light one, two facial spots instead of one, and no wing patch. 



Field Marks. Male is unmistakable. Female may be recognized by size and general 

 darkness of coloration, scarcely lighter below; absence of a wing patch; and two light face 

 patches. 



Nesting. On groimd, under rocks or driftwood or in hollow stumps. 



Distribution. Only a migrant in the east, very rare in the interior though common 

 in the mountains of the west where it breeds. 



This is one of the prettiest of our ducks, coming next to the Wood 

 Duck in point of beauty. Its proper home is in the brawling streams of 

 the west and northwest where it is well known to the prospector and miner. 

 In eastern Canada it haunts rocky bays and shores where it feeds largely 

 on the sea fleas and small shrimps that throng the inshore salt waters. 



Genera — Somateria and Oidemia. Eiders and Scoters. 



Though not forming a recognized systematic division of ducks these 

 two genera are peculiar and show enough common characters to receive 

 special mention here. 



General Description. Large sturdily built birds, the largest of our ducks. Male 

 Eiders have broad masses of sharply contrasting colours and dehcate tints; Scoters nearly 

 all black, some with small accents of pure white. Both genera have swollen bills with 

 strange excrescences and briUiant colorations (Figure 9, p. 19). 



