158 



THE LONG-TAILED, OR NORTHERN HARELD. 



Hardda glacialis. 



PLATE IX. 



Anas glacialis and hyemalis, Linn. Harelda glacialis, Leach. 

 Long-tailed Duck, or Northern Hareld of British authors. 



IN all the ducks we have examined, the complete 

 plumage has been perfected by winter, acquiring as 

 the season of incubation advanced a fuller develop- 

 ment and additional brilliancy ; in the species now 

 before us, however, we have almost an entire change, 

 or in the breeding time a new dress is put on, much 

 darker, and showing considerable analogy in its tints 

 and markings to the changes incident to many of 

 the grallatores. The figure on the plate will exhi- 

 bit the winter dress and that of the young bird ; the 

 breeding plumage will be immediately described. 

 The long-tailed duck, like many of these birds we 

 have now described, is also only a winter visitant 

 -to our shores, none having yet been known to remain 

 and breed, even among the more northern islands. 

 Around the southern half of England it is consi- 

 dered as a rare bird, on the coasts a few instances 

 are occasionally recorded of specimens being ob- 

 tained; as we approach the north and the Scottish 



