THE OLD-SQUAW. 805 



No. 324. 



OLD-SQUAW. 



A. O. U. Xo. 154. Harelda hyemalis (Linn.). 



Synonyms. — Lonc'.-taii.kd Dl'ck. South-southerlv. Old-wifk. 



Description. — Adnli male in zciiitcr: General plumage rich dark brown, 

 or brownish black, and white ; iireast. broadly, — continuous with band around 

 upper back — back, centrally, — to end of tail — wings (reddening on secondaries), 

 and patches on sides of neck, brown ; sides of head in front, including eyes, warm 

 ashy gray, but eyelids white: superior scapulars elongated, reaching nearly to tip 

 of wing, pale ashy white ; sides ashy-tinged ; axillars and lining of wings smoky 

 brown ; remaining plumage, including crown and throat and neck all around, 

 white; tail graduated, the central pair of feathers much elongated, blackish, the 

 lateral feathers short, white ; bill black, saddled with orange toward tip : feet bluish 

 with dusky webs and claws; iris bright red. .Idult male in breeding season: 

 Head, neck, fore-breast, and upperparts rich chocolate brown or sooty black ; fore- 

 part of head silvery gray, whitening around and behind eye ; back varied by rich 

 fulvous or bright reddish on longer scapulars, etc. ; lower breast anfl upper belly 

 dark sooty gray; below white shaded with pale gray on sides. .Idnlt female in 

 zvintcr: Head and neck white ; a dark brown patch on head and nape and another 

 on side of neck ; upperparts dusky or blackish, varied, especially on scapulars, with 

 considerable light brown or ochraceous; fore-neck and breast light brown above, 

 shading thru gray into white of lower ]:)arts ; tail shar])ly pointed, but central 

 feathers not lengthened ; bill and feet dusky green ; iris yellow. .Idnlt female in 

 breeding plnmage: Similar to winter plumage, but head and up])er neck dark 

 grayish brown or blackish ; a white space about eye and another on the side of 

 the neck; scapulars with still more ochraceous. Yonng: Like adult female in 

 winter, but more uniformly colored above, the males gradually acquiring the ashy 

 scapulars. Adult male length 20.50-23.00 (520.7-584.2); wing 9.00 (228.6); 

 tail 8.00-9.25 (203.2-235); bill 1. 10 (27.9); tarsus 1.32 (33.5). Female some- 

 what smaller, — tail 2.50 (.63.5). 



Recognition Marks. — Mallard size : white and sooty lirown ; head white 

 with ashy and dark patches, or brown with grayish patch; tail (of male) greatly 

 elongated; bill short, — black and orange; face full. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in W'ashington. Nest: on the ground in tall 

 grass or bushes near water. Eggs: 6-12, dull gra\ish green, or light olive-buff. 

 Av. size, 2.05x1.50 (52.1x38.1). 



General Range. — Northern hemis])here ; in North .\merica south to the 

 Potomac and the Ohio (more rarely to Florida and Texas) and California; breeds 

 far northward. 



Range in Washington. — Common in winter on Puget Sound and along the 

 Coast — abundance dependent upon severity of season. 



Authorities. — Harelda glacialis. Leach, Newberry, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. 

 A'ol. \'\. ]>t. IV. 1857, p. 104. T. C&S. L^. Rh. Kk. B. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W.) Prov. B. BN. E. . . 



