BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 67 



green, which shades into purplish on the upper and under 

 surfaces of the head; a broad patch on each side of the head 

 from the posterior border of the eye, meeting its fellow on the 

 nape, the lower neck all around, under parts generally, wing 

 coverts (except the lesser) and most of the secondaries, and 

 scapulars, white, the latter narrowly edged externally with 

 black; rest of upper parts, except as described, black, passing 

 gradually, on the upper tail coverts into pale gray; axillars, 

 and under wing coverts, sooty brown, more or less tipped with 

 white; iris hazel. 



Length, 15; wing, 6.65; tarsus, 1.25; commissure, 1.45. 



Habitat, North America. 



CLANGULA HYEMALIS (L.). (154.) 

 OLD-SQUAW. 



In local popular parlance this species is variously called by 

 the following names: Old-wife, Old-squaw, Old South-southerly, 

 Long-Tailed Duck. I heard of this Dack through the leading 

 sportsmen for several years before I saw it, after which it 

 soon became familiar to me. But it remains here for a short 

 time only in either migration, arriving amongst the earliest 

 migrating species, and disappearing entirely in a very few 

 days. In fall they reach the State only a short time before 

 the whole sub family moves southward. 



They usually remain very distinct, in flocks of from a dozen 

 to fifty and sixty. Their movements are so characteristic 

 on the wing, that having observed them attentively once, they 

 need never be mistaken for any other species afterward. 

 They are only a little better for the table than a narrow- 

 billed Fish Duck. 



From the local observations of casual observers I should be 

 led to suppose that this species might remain in Kandiyohi and 

 Big Stone counties considerably longer in both migrations than 

 I should be able to vouch for from authentic sources beyond 

 my personal notice. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill, black, orange-yellow towards the tip; head, neck, and 

 breast, very dark blackish-brown; head above, back, rump 

 and middle tail feathers, black; whole side of head from the 

 bill to behind the eyes and sides of the body, pale bluish-gray; 

 portion of cheek patch immediately around and behind the eye, 

 with a longitudinal streak each side of the occiput, under parts 

 generally, and the more external feathers, white; feathers on 

 the forepart of the back, and scapulars, broadly edged with 



