172 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



But a single species of this well-marked genus is known. This, 

 the Harlequin Duck, is common to both continents of the north- 

 ern hemisphere, where it inhabits chiefly high latitudes. 



Histrionicus histrionicus (Linn). 



HAELEQUIN DUCK. 



Popular synomyms. Lord and Lady (Maine, New Brunswick, etc.); Painted Duck and 

 Mountain Duck (Hudson's Bay); Rock Duck (Nova Scotia); Squealer (Maine). 



Anas Mstrionica Linn. S. N- ed. 10, i. 1758, 127; ed. 12, i, 1766, 204— Wils. Am. Orn. viii, 



1814, 139, pi. 72 fig. 4. 

 Fuligula {Clangula) Mstrionica Bonap. Synop. 1828, 394.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834, 448. 

 Fuligula Mstrionica Aud. Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 612; v, 1839, 617; Synop. 1839, 617; B. Am. 



vi, 1843, 374, pi. 409. 

 Histrionicus Mstrionicus Bouc. Cat. Av. 1876, 60— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 155.— 



Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 107. 

 Clangula torquata Beehm, Vogelf. 1855, 385. 

 Histrionicus torquatus Bon ap. Comp. Rend, xliii, 1856.— Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 798; 



Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 596.— Coues, Key, 1872, 291; Check List, 1873, No. 510; B. N. 



W. 1874, 578. 

 Anas minuta Linn. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 127; ed. 12, i, 1766, 204 (female.) 

 Histrionicus minutus Dresser, Birds of Europe (in text).— Coues, Bull. Nutt. Orn. 



Club, v, Apr. 1880, 101 ; Check List. 2d ed. 1882, No. 730.— Ridgw. Norn. N. Am. B. 



1881, No. 622.— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884, 52. 



Hab. Northern North America, Europe. and Asia; south In winter to the Middle States, 

 Illinois, Missouri, California, etc.; breeding south to Newfoundland, the Northern Rocky 

 Mountains, and in the Sierra Nevada to lat. 38° or farther; Iceland; Eastern Asia. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Entire loral region, continued backward from its upper part in 

 a stripe on each side of the crown, an oval spot over the ears, a stripe of a little more than 

 an inch in length down each side of the nape, a narrow collar completely encircling the 

 tower neck, a broad bar across each side of the breast, the middle portion (longitudinally) 

 of the outer scapulars, the greater part of the tertials, a spot near the tip of the greater 

 wing-coverts, and a small spot on each side of the crissum, at the base of the tail, white. 

 A broad longitudinal stripe on each side of the crown and occiput, with entire sides and 

 flanks, bright rufous. Head and neck, except as described, dark plumbeous, with a faint 

 violaceous cast, becoming gradually black along the border of the white markings; pileum 

 with a median stripe of blue-black extending from the base of the culmen to the occiput. 

 Back, chest, and sides of the breast bluish plumbeous, the white collar and the white bat- 

 on the sides of the breast bordered on each side by deep blue-black; rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and crissum deep blue-black ; abdomen dark sooty grayish, blending insensibly 

 into the plumbeous of the breast and the black of the crissum, but distinctly denned against 

 the rufous of the sides and flanks; wing-ooverts plumbeous-slate; primaries and rectrices 

 dusky black; secondaries ("speculum") metallic dark violet-blue ; tertials white, the outer 

 webs edged with black, the inner with dark plumbeous. Bill light yellowish olive, the ex- 

 treme tip paler; iris reddish brown; feet pale bluish, the webs dusky, the claws whitish. 

 Adult male in post-nuptial plumage: Pattern of the head- markings same as in the preced- 

 ing, but the plumbeous much duller, the black stripe of the pileum dusky, the rufous on the 

 sides of the crown and occiput wanting, or but faintly indicated. Upper parts in general 

 nearly uniform dusky grayish brown, without well-defined white anywhere, no blue-black, 

 and the speculum dull dusky brownish gray, with little, if any, gloss. Lower parts grayish 

 white, each feather marked with a subterminal transverse spot of grayish brown, the sides, 

 flanks, and crissum nearly uniform grayish brown; no rufous on sides or flanks, and col- 

 lar round the lower neck imperfect, or only slightly indicated. Adult female: Somewhat 



