NON-INDIGENOUS BRITISH BIRDS. i^ji 



and those of the Pochard overlap in size and are the 

 same in colour, but the down of the latter is grayer, that 

 of the present species being large tufted and dark brown, 

 with pale centres. 



Family ANATID^. Genus Fuligula. 



Sub-family FULIGULIN^. 



HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



Fuligula histrionica {Lt?mceiis). 



(British : Very rare nomadic autumn migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season, May and June. 



Breeding area: Eastern Palaearctic and Nearctic 

 regions. The Harlequin Duck breeds in Iceland, Green- 

 land south of the Arctic circle, and thence across the 

 North American continent ^ from about the latitude of 

 the Arctic circle south to lat. 45°. Westwards it breeds 

 in the Aleutian Islands, and probably in Kamtschatka, 

 the Stanavoi Mountains, the valley of the Amoor, and 

 the Baikal area. There is no absolutely reliable evidence 

 of this bird breeding anywhere in Western Siberia or on 

 continental Europe. 



Breeding habits : The Harlequin Duck is a 

 nomadic migrant, rarely straying much south of open 

 water during winter. It is not gregarious during the 

 breeding season, living in scattered pairs : the flocks of 

 this Duck noted by Elliott in the Pribylov Islands being 

 probably composed of immature non-breeding birds. 



1 It is rather remarkable that this Duck was never met with 

 by Macfarlane during his long sojourn in the Arctic regions of 

 America. 



