142 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



We class the Old-squaws among the Sea 

 Ducks and seemingly they do prefer to live about 

 sea-water. They occur inland, however, on 

 many of the larger rivers and lakes. On the 

 Pacific side of the continent, California is their 

 southern limit, and on the Atlantic coast they 

 go down to North Carolina and sometimes to 

 Florida. The summer home is in the high north- 

 ern latitudes. Their food consists mainly of shell- 

 fish and crustaceans. Wayne reports finding them 

 in company with Surf Ducks feeding on mussels 

 along the South Carolina coast. 



As they are not regarded as good for the table, 

 market-hunters seldom kill them, and only the 

 less experienced sportsmen shoot them if other 

 Ducks are within reach. Their habits, including 

 their manner of flying, feeding, and diving, are 

 verv similar to those of the Scoters, with which 

 birds they much associate. 



Along the North Carolina coast the Old- 



squaws assemble in large flocks, especially in 

 the spring. At this time they are often very 

 noisy ; in fact no wild Duck in North America 

 has so much to say to his fellows as this hand- 

 some species. This propensity for ceaseless 

 chattering is given as the reason for naming 

 the bird " Old-squaw." Many hunters call it 

 " Old South-southerly," through some fancied 

 resemblance between those words and the notes 

 of the bird. Another local name is " Long- 

 tail," the extended tail-feathers of the male, es- 

 pecially in the spring plumage, giving point to 

 this name. 



Old-squaws are said to indulge in a variety of 

 interesting aerial evolutions during the mating 

 season. At great speed they chase one another 

 through the air and often dart down to the water 

 and disappear, as they carry on the chase for a 

 brief time beneath the surface. 



T. Gilbert Pearson. 



HARLEQUIN DUCK 

 Histrionicus histnonicus (Linnarus) 



.\. O. U. Xumber 155 See Color Plate 19 



Other Names. — Painted Duck ; Mountain Duck ; 

 Rock Duck ; Lord-and-Lady ; Squealer ; Sea Mouse. 



General Description. — Length, 17 inches. Males are 

 deep bluish-slate ; females are brown above, and grayish- 

 brown below. Both se.xes have small crests, short bills, 

 and long, sharp tails. 



Color. — Adult M.^le in Full Plumage : General color 

 deep bluish-slate with a purplish tinge blackening on 

 top of head, lower back, rump, and tail, a darker shade 

 on head and neck than on breast and back ; a white 

 patch between bill and eye curving upward and back- 

 ward, changing to chestnut along nape ; a round white 

 spot on side of head, a long white streak on side of 

 upper neck, a white collar around neck, complete or 

 not — all these marks with black borders; a white cres- 

 centic bar in front of wings; two white streaks on 

 back; outer webs of inner secondaries and a bar across 

 end of greater coverts and some of the secondaries, also 

 white; speculum, dull purplish; sides and flanks, broadly 

 chestnut with a small white spot at root of tail ; bill, 

 dull olive, lightening on sides; feet, grayish-blue with 

 dusky webs; iris, brown. Three years required to reach 

 this perfect plumage ; male usually seen intermediate 

 between this and plumage of female. Adult Female: 



Head, neck, and upper parts, dull dark brown, deepest 

 on head and rump ; lower parts grayish-brown whiten- 

 ing on abdomen ; a lighter spot in front of eye. another 



another one further back 

 bill, dusky; feet, 

 Young : Similar to adult 



In hollow tree or stump, 



larger one below it and stil' 

 on side of head, all obscure whitish; 

 dull leaden-gray ; iris, brown, 

 female in summer. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : 

 under driftwood or in crevices of rock, usually near 

 swiftly running streams; constructed of weeds, grass, 

 and leaves and lined with down and feathers. Eggs : 

 6 to 8, pale cream or buffy. 



Distribution. — Northern North America and eastern 

 Asia ; breeds from Alaska, on the Arctic coast, to 

 Greenland, south to British Columbia, central Mac- 

 kenzie, northern Ungava, and Newfoundland and in 

 the mountains to central California and southwestern 

 Colorado, northeastern Asia, and Iceland ; winters on 

 the Pacific coast from Aleutian Islands to California, in 

 the interior to Colorado, Missouri, Lake Michigan, and 

 western New York, and on the Atlantic Coast from 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence regularly to Maine, rarely to New 

 Jersey, and accidentally to Florida ; accidental in 

 Europe and not rare in Asia south to Japan. 



Harlequin, well named ! fantastically deco- 

 rated, but still a thing of beauty. Delightful in 

 color, elegant in form, graceful in carriage, rightly 

 are its little companies called the " Lords and 



Ladies " of the waters. This is the loveliest of 

 the Sea Ducks, but its beauty is reserved mainly 

 for the cold and inhospitable North, and the 

 wave-lashed rocks of isolated ledges in the 



