128 HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



lays ten white eggs on tlie grass ; the young are prettily speckled. It 

 is found on the eastern continent as far south as Lake Baikal, and 

 thence to Kamtschatka, particularly up the river Ochotska ; and was 

 also met with at Aoonaiashka and Iceland.* At Hudson's Bay it is 

 called the Painted Duck, at Newfoundland and along the coast of New 

 England, the Lord ; it is an active vigorous diver, and often seen in 

 deep water, considerably out at sea. 



The Harlequin Duck, so called from the singularity of its markings, 

 is seventeen inches in length, and twenty-eight inches in extent ; the 

 bill is of a moderate length, of a lead color tipped with red, irides 

 dark ; upper part of the head black ; between the eye and bill a broad 

 space of white, extending over the eye, and ending in reddish ; behind 

 the ear a similar spot ; neck black, ending below in a circle of white ; 

 breast deep slate, shoulders or sides of the breast, marked with a semi- 

 circle of white ; belly black ; sides chestnut ; body above black or deep 

 slate, some of the scapulars white ; greater wing coverts tipped with 

 the same ; legs and feet deep ash ; vent and pointed tail black. 



The female is described as being less, " the forehead, and between 

 the bill and eye, white, with a spot of the same behind the ear ; head, 

 neck, and back, broAvn, palest on the fore part of the neck ; upper part 

 of the breast and rump red brown, lower breast and belly barred pale 

 rufous and white ; behind the thighs rufous and brown ; scapulars and 

 wing coverts rufous brown ; outer greater ones blackish ; quills and tail 

 dusky, the last inclining to rufous ; legs dusky." * 



The few specimens of this Duck which I have met with, were all 

 males ; and from the variation in their colors it appears evident that 

 the young birds undergo a considerable change of plumage before they 

 arrive at their full colors. In some the white spot behind the eye was 

 large, extending irregularly half way down the neck ; in others confined 

 to a roundish spot. 



The flesh of this species is said to be excellent. 



* Latham. 



