HAELEQUIN DUCK 187 



ou side each represented by few feathers. Total length 17.75 inches (451 mm.') 

 (one specimen from Alaska); folded wing 7.62-8.27 (193.5-210.0); bill along 

 culmen 1.04-1.18 (26.4-30.0); tarsus 1.45-1.52 (36.8-38.6) (ten specimens from 

 Alaska). Adult female: Extremely somber-hued: Head and neck chiefly olive 

 brown, darkest on crown, lightest on chin and throat; spot above and in front 

 of eye, another below and behind eye, and broad area on cheek between base 

 of bill and eye, dull white, more or less flecked with brown; whole of upper 

 surface, wings, tail, sides, chest, and under tail coverts almost uniform olive 

 brown; lower surface grayish brown, whitish towards mid-line, and usually 

 with a mottled pattern due to broad white feather ends. Total length 15.50 

 inches (394 mm.) (two specimens from Alaska); folded wing 7.00-7.55 (178- 

 192); bill along culmen 0.95-1.04 (24.1-26.4); tarsus 1..34-1.38 (34.0-35.0) (five 

 specimens from Alaska). Juvenile plumage: Male: Similar to that of adult 

 male but with markings less distinct, white not well defined and blue-black 

 absent; speculum dull gray without gloss; under surface grayish white, each 

 feather marked with a transverse spot of grayish brown; sides and flanks 

 grayish brown, without chestnut color; collar around lower neck imperfect. 

 Female: Similar to that of adult female but upper surface darker and lower 

 surface more brown-tinged (Sanford, Bishop and Van Dyke, 1903, p. 157). 

 Natal plumage: "Top of head and upper parts, blackish brown; face and neck, 

 white; under parts and a spot on each wing and thigh, white" (Sanford, 

 Bishop and Van Dyke, 1903, p. 158). 



Marks for field identification — Size medium (about that of a Scaup), 

 bill very small, tail short and pointed, general coloration very dark, below as 

 well as above. Male has several conspicuous white patches on sides of head 

 (fig. 25) and body, as also a white collar around hind neck, a white bar across 

 side of chest, and a white patch on wing. Female dull brown with dull white 

 spots on head, the most conspicuous one below and behind eye; no white on 

 wing. Females of both Buffle-head and Old-squaw have white streak directly 

 behind eye (compare figs. 23, 24 and 26). 



Voice — Seldom heard; in flocks: "a confusion of low gabbling and chatter- 

 ing notes" (Nelson, 1887, p. 74). 



Nest — On ground under logs, driftwood or rocks, sometimes in stump near 

 water, and lined with down. 



Eggs — 5 to 10, rounded oval in shape, and averaging in inches 2.30 by 1.62 

 (in millimeters, 58.5 by 41.1); color yellowish buff or greenish yellow (Davie, 

 1889, p. 73; and authors). 



General distribution — Northern North America and eastern Asia. In 

 North America breeds from the Kowak and Yukon rivers, Alaska, the Arctic 

 coast, and Greenland, south to southwestern Britisli Columbia, central 

 Mackenzie, northern Uugava and Newfoundland, and, in the mountains, south 

 to central California and southwestern Colorado. Summers in flocks near 

 Aleutian Islands and along coast of Washington. Winters on Pacific coast 

 from Aleutian Islands to central California, in the interior to Colorado, and 

 on Atlantic coast from Gulf of St. Lawrence to Maine, rarely farther south 

 (modified from A. O. U. Check-list, 1910, pp. 77-78). 



Distribution in California — Irregular winter visitant coastwise in northern 

 and central portions of the state. Known instances of occurrence are: Hum- 

 boldt Bay (F. J. Smith, MS); Bodega Bay (Belding, 1891, p. 98); Tomales Bay, 

 abundant in fall (Mailliard, MS); Point Reyes, Marin County, flocks in June 

 (J. Mailliard, 1904, p. 15); Monterey (Loomis, 1895, p. 222; 1900, p. 362); 

 Point Carmel, Monterey County (Beck, 1910, p. 69). Breeds sparingly along 



