LONG-TAILED HARELD. 195 



The posterior yellowish-brown. The breast, back, wing- 

 coverts, and inner secondaries, are deep chocolate-brown ; the 

 quills greyish-brown ; the scapulars white. The middle tail- 

 feathers, like the back, the next pair partially so, being 

 margined with white, the rest chiefly white. The hind part 

 of the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, are white ; part 

 of the sides ash-grey ; the lower wing-coverts greyish-brown. 

 Length to end of tail 25 inches ; extent of wings 30 ; 

 wing from flexure 9^ ; tail 8^ ; bill along the ridge l-j^^ ; along 

 the edge of lower mandible 1-j^ ; its greatest breadth at the 

 base -j^ ; bare part of tibia yV ; tarsus 1-^ ; hind toe -^, its 

 claw -f-^ ; second toe 1^^^, its claw -^ ; third toe 1^, its claw 

 -^ ; fourth toe 2^, its claw -3- 



1 2- 



Female in Winter. — The scapulars are not elongated, 

 and the tail is short and rounded. The bill is deep bluish- 

 grey ; the iris yellow ; the feet greenish-grey. The upper 

 part of the head and nape are chocolate-brown ; the throat of 

 a lighter brown ; the sides of the head and neck, with a band 

 over the eye, and part of the hind-neck greyish-white ; a 

 brown patch behind the cheek. On the lower part of the 

 neck, all round, the feathers are greyish-brown, edged with 

 paler. The rest of the lower parts white, excepting part of 

 the sides, which is greyish-brown ; the lower wing-coverts 

 light chocolate brown. All the upper parts are greyish cho- 

 colate-brown ; the scapulars edged with light brown ; the 

 lateral tail-feathers shaded with greyish-white. 



Length to end of tail 16 inches ; extent of wings 26 ; 

 wing from flexure 8 ; tail 2^ ; bill along the ridge 1-^ ; tarsus 

 1^ ; middle toe 1^, its claw -pj. 



Habits. — The Long-tailed Ducks inhabit the arctic 

 regions of both continents, in summer extending to the mar- 

 gins of the polar ice, and in winter moving southward along 

 the coasts, but not advancing far into the temperate regions. 

 M. Temminck states that they nestle in Spitzbergen, Iceland, 

 and the Hudson's Bay country, on the borders of the sea. 

 Mr. Audubon found them breeding in Labrador, and describes 

 the nest as formed of grass, lined with down. The eggs are 



