80 



Birds ok Xorth Carolina 



This is a common duck on the sounds and estuaries, usually seen in pairs or in 

 small flocks. The male is lieautiful and quick-movinp;, always more or less in evi- 

 dence to the gunners spending a day in a hlintl out on the sounds. It does not 

 decoy readily and its small .size and rapid movements make it a difficult target. It 

 is a marvelous diver and, to some extent, feeds upon small shell-fish. 



A female was taken at Raleigh, December 16, 1893, and it is recorded l)y Cairns 

 as a rare transient in liunconihe Covmty. 



Genus Harelda iSteph.i 

 60. Harelda hyemalis [Linn.). Old-squaw. 



Ad. 6^ in winter. — .Sides of front of lie.ad washed witli Krayisli lirown; sides of h.ick of head 

 and sides of upper necli black, more or less margined witli oehraeeous; rest of fiead. neck all 

 around, upper hack, scapulars, and lower l)elly wliite; back, t)re:i.st, and upper fielly lilack; tail 

 pointed, middle featlicrs very lonfi; and narrow; band across end of liiU yellowisli orange. Ad. 

 cf in summer. — .Sides of tlie front of head white; rest of liead. neck, throat, l)reast and upper 

 belly black; back and scapulars black, the latter margined witli dark huffy ochraceous; lower 

 belly white; tail and bill as in iireceding. 9 in winter. — I'pperparts black or fuscous; scapu- 

 lars and upper back more or less margined with grayish or grayisli lirown; sides of head and 

 neck and sometimes back of neck white or wliitish; breast grayish; Ijclly white; tail pointed, 

 but without long feathers of male; under wing-coverts dark. .-Id. 9 in summer. — Generally 

 similar to above, but sides of head and throat mostly blackish, and featlicrs of upperparts 

 more or less margined with ochraceous. L., o'", 21.00". 9, IB. 00; \\'.. S.GO; T., 6", S.OO, 9, 

 2..50; B., 1.0.5. 



Fia. 50. Ol.D-SQC.uv (adult male). 



lienmrk.'i. — The male Old-squaw is too distinct to be confiLsed with any other species, its 

 long tail-feathers being its most striking character; the female bears some resemblance to the 

 female of the Harlequin Duck, but has the belly pure white instead of grayish dusky. (Chap., 



Birds of E. N. A.) 



Kantje. — Northern Hemisphere, breeding in the far Xorth, wintering from Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence to Xorth Carolina. 



Range in Nurlh Carolina. — Coastal region in winter, not common; occasional inland. 



As beautiful in looks as it is undesirable in taste. Dwight W. Huntington 

 in Our Feathered Game says: "It is a swift flyer, exjiert diver, a flsh-e;iter, and 

 a tough and undesirable bird for tiic talile. Its evolutions in the ;ur are said to be 



