1 86 DUCK SHOOTING. 



breast and upper parts generally are deep brown or 

 even black. The feathers on the fore-back and the 

 scapulars are margined with tan. The other upper 

 parts are black, or blackish-brown, with some grayish 

 on the secondaries. The four middle tail feathers are 

 black ; the breast and part of the belly are dark brown, 

 and the rest of the under parts white. The bill is black, 

 crossed by a bar of orange, and the feet are black. 



The female, in winter, has the head, neck and lower 

 parts white, marked with dusky on forehead and crown, 

 as well as on the ears, chin and throat. The upper 

 parts are brown, many of the feathers being bordered 

 with grayish. In summer the head and neck are more 

 gray and the general plumage darker. 



The old-squaw, as it is commonly called on the New 

 England coast, is one of the commonest of our winter 

 birds, and is found on both coasts of America, as well 

 as of the Old World. It is a beautiful bird, active, 

 noisy and hardy, going little further south than it is 

 obliged to to procure food, although occasionally it ex- 

 tends its migrations as far as Florida and California. 

 In Europe it is sometimes found, in winter, in the Medi- 

 terranean Sea. 



The old-squaw breeds in the Arctic regions and has 

 been found in Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, Iceland 

 and Northern Alaska, as well as in Hudson's Bay. It 

 commonly associates, even on the breeding grounds, in 

 great flocks; and I have seen them in Alaska in June 

 and July, hundreds together. They commonly breed 

 on the waters of fresh-water pools, making their nests 



