ZOOLOGY, 261 



HARELDA GLACIALIS, (Linn.) Leach. 



South Southerly ; Old Wife : Long-tall. 



Anas glacialis, LINN. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 203. FORSTER, Phil. Trans. LXII, 1772, 418. WILSON, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 



93, 96 ; pi. Ixx. 

 EarMa glacialis, &quot; LEACH.&quot; STEPHENS, Shaw s Gen. Zool. XII, 1824, 175. Sw. F. B. Am. II, 1831, 460. BON. List, 



1838. BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, 800. 

 Fuligula (Harelda) glacialis, NUTT. Man. II, 1834, 453. 



Fuligula glacialis, Aro. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838 403; pi. 312. IB. Syn. 1839, 295. IB. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 379; pi. 410. 

 Anas hyemalis, LINN. 1, 1766, 202. FOBST. Phil. Tr. LXII, 1772, 418. -GMELIN, I, 529. 



SP. CH. Male in summer. -~- Bill black, orange yellow towards the tip. Head, neck, and breast very dark blackish brown ; 

 the head above, back, rump, and middle tail feathers, black. The whole side of the head, from the bill to behind the eyes, 

 and the sides of the body, pale bluish gray ; the portion of the cheek patch immediately around and behind the eye, with 

 a longitudinal streak each side the occiput ; the under parts generally, and the more external tail feathers, white. Feathers 

 on the fore part of the back, with the scapulars, broadly edged with light reddish brown ; under wing coverts and axillars 

 brownish chocolate. No white whatever on the wing. 



Male in winter. Differs from summer dress in having the head and neck white to the jugulum and interscapular region. 

 The gray of the cheeks persistent, and a broad patch of black on the sides of the neck behind this. The scapulars are pale 

 pearl gray. Iris pale brown. 



Female. Lacks the long points to the tail and scapulars. The head and neck dusky, with a whitish patch around the eye 

 and on the sides of the neck behind. 



Length, 20 75 ; wing, 8.90 ; tail, 8.00 ; tarsus, 1.38 ; commissure, 1 62. Extent of wings about 30 inches. 

 Hab. Along both coasts of North America. Europe. 



The long-tailed duck, &quot;old wife,&quot; or &quot;south southerly,&quot; remains in the Territory only 

 during the coldest winter months, leaving for the north in March. They are found only in 

 open bays. C. 



The &quot;old squaw&quot; is very common in winter on the lower part of Puget Sound and on 

 Admiralty inlet. I am sorry that the only specimen I attempted to preserve was accidentally 

 destroyed. 



The Indians living along the Straits of Fuca look to the arrival of the various species of wild 

 ducks as a certain harvest. They destroy vast numbers by shooting with shot, and, when 

 short of ammunition, with forked arrows. They also obtain them in great quantities by 

 stretching long nets on a line suspended on poles, which are about half as far apart and look 

 much like the telegraph poles of the older States. These poles are erected on the long sand 

 spits running out from points, and dividing bays along the straits. Upon these the nets are 

 stretched at nightfall, and, being directly in the course of the flight of the birds from bay to 

 bay and point to point, immense numbers are taken at certain seasons. This plan of capturing 

 ducks was much more extensively practiced formerly than at present. The same Indians save 

 large quantities of wild duck and geese feathers, which are readily bought up by the traders 

 for about twelve cents a pound, and resold by them in San Francisco at a profit of several 

 hundred per cent. 



Some tribes of Indians, especially the Lummis and Scadgetts, have a habit of obtaining 

 ducks at night by &quot;fire hunting,&quot; with canoes and lights, much in the same manner that deer 

 are killed in certain districts. The ducks, dazzled and bewitched by the light, allow it to 

 approach so near that they are killed with arrows and spears. It is not unusual thus to take a 

 good-sized canoe load in a single night. By this method fire-arms should not be used ; but the 

 arrow or spear, doing its work noislessly, is alone to be relied on. S. 



