Vol. /. 



June, 1901. 



J^o. 6 



HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



A. O. V, Mo. 135. 



{Hisirionicas histrionicus. ) 



RANGE. 



From the northern United States northwards. Breeds in tlie Rocky 

 Mountains in northern U. S., in central Canada, Alaska, Newfoundland, 

 Greenland and Iceland. South in winter to Maine on the Atlantic coast. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Bill olive black. Feet 



Length, 17.5 in.; extent, 25 in,; tail, 3.5 in. 

 grayish. Eye reddish brown. 



Male. — General color above ashy blue. Rump and tail coverts pur- 

 plish black. Tail black. A few white tipped feathers on either side of 

 tail. Head and neck dark slaty blue. White spot on ear coverts. A 

 white band (changing to chestnut over the eye) extending from bill over 

 the eyes and down the sides of the neck'. A broad white crescent on the 

 side of the neck, and another lower across the breast, both of these being 

 bordered above and below with black. Wings dark slate. A white band 

 at one end of the secondaries, and a large white patch on either side of the 

 back. Flanks bright chestnut. The remainder of the under parts rather 

 lighter and more brownish than the back, in summer the male is much 

 duller in color. 



Female.— Very different from the male. Head, neck, back, wings and 

 tail, uniform sooty brown. A white spot before the eye and also back of 

 it. Breast gray changing to v/hite below. 



