*t DUCKS. 



but never in flocks, on the maritime coasts of Holland. (Temminck.) 

 Al.un.Unt in Sweden, Upland, and Russia. (Gould.) N.itd in tlu> 

 lilt of bird* wen within the arctic circle, and u breeding in the 

 North Georgian Island*, but not common there. ('Supplement to 

 Appendix to Captain Parry's First Voyage.') Female* taken in Duke 

 of York's Bay. (Captain Lyon's ' Journal') Abundant on the Arctic 

 Sea, associating with the Oidemiir, remaining in the north as long as 

 it can find open watr, and assembling in very large flocks before 

 migrating ; halU, during its progress southward, both on the shorn 

 of the Hudson's Bay and in the inland lakes, and is one of the last of 

 the birds of passage which quite the Fur Countries. Captain Sir James 

 Ross describes it as the most noisy and most numerous of the ducka 

 that risit the shores of Boothia. The species is abundant in Green- 

 land, Lapland, Russia, and Kamtchatka, and flocks pass the winter 

 (from October to April) at the Orkney Islands. They are seldom seen 

 in the southern parts of England, unless the weather be very severe. 

 In October they visit the United State*, and abound in Chesapeake 

 Bay. 



Lonn-Tallrd Dock (HurtUa flaciala}. male and female. 



Lively, most noisy, and gregarious, the Long-Tailed Duck, with its 

 swallow-like appearance in flight, swims and dives with all the expert- 

 ness of the Bpirit-Ducka. Sir John Richardson states that in the 

 latter end of August, when a thin crust of ice forms during the night 

 on the Arctic Sea, the female may be often seen breaking a way with 

 her wings for bar young brood. The same author state* that the eggs 

 are pale greenish-fray, with lioth ends rather obtuse, 26 lines long and 

 18 lines wide. They are about five in number; and in Spitsbergen, 

 Iceland, and along the grassy shores of Hudson'* Bay, near the sea, 

 this species is said to form its nest about the middle of June, linitii; 

 the interior with the down of the breast Marine productions priii. -i 

 pally, both animal and vegetable, form its food, particularly the 

 Zottrra, or Gnu* Wrack, for which it dive* like others of its congeners. 

 " Late in the evening, or early in the morning," writes Nuttall in bin 

 1 Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of Canada,' 

 "towards spring more particularly, vast flock* are seen in the bays 

 and sheltered inlets, snd in calm and foggy weather we hear th<- ]..,',.! 

 and blended nasal call reiterated for hours from the motley multitu,!.-. 

 * 'something in the sound like the honk of the goose, and, as 

 far M wonls can express a subject so uncouth, it resemble* the guttu- 

 ral syllables ogh. ough, egh, and then ogh, ogh, ogh, ougb, egh, given 



DUCK& u.> 



in a ludicrous drawling tone ; but still, with all the accompaniments 

 of scene and season, this humble harbinger of spring, obeying the feel- 

 ings of nature, and pouring forth his final ditty before his departure 

 to the distant north, conspires, with the novelty of the call, to please 

 rather than disgust those nappy few who may be willing to find good 

 in everything.' " 



The old birds are not considered as of much value for the table ; 

 but the young birds are tender and juicy. If, as is on good authority 

 asserted, the down which the Long-Tailed Duck strip* from its breast 

 as a lining for the nest, is as soft and elastic as that of the Kidcr- 

 Duck, it may be considered as offering no mean contribution to the 

 comforts of man, a contribution which, however apparently hitherto 

 neglected, deserves the attention of the intelligent and enterprising. 



In addition to the genera above mentioned, Gymnura (Oxyura, 

 Bonaparte), Macropus, and Microptenu find a place among the Sea- 

 Ducks. 



The species from which the genus Osyura is established, U bred, 

 according to Nuttall (' Manual '), in the north, and principally haunts 

 fresh-water lakes, diving and swimming with great ease, but it is 

 averse to rising into the air. It is small, and U said by the last-named 

 author to be nearly allied to Amu leueocephala, which inhabits the 

 saline lakes and inland seas of Siberia, Russia, and the east of Europe ; 

 and also to have an affinity to A. Jamaiceruit of Latham. Nuttall 

 thinks that it is perhaps identical with A. ipinota of Guyana, if not 

 also with A. Dominica of Gmelin, a native of St. Domingo, and pro- 

 bably only resident there during the winter. He also observes that 

 the name of Oxyura having been previously employed for a sub-genus 

 of Creepers, it was necessary to alter it; but the student should 

 remember that Gymnura had been pro-occupied by Sir Stamford 

 Raffles for a genus of Hammifers ; and that Spix has named a family 

 of South American Monkeys Gymnuri. Prince C. L. Bonaparte, how- 

 ever, corrected himself, and changed the name to Eritmatura. Mr. 

 Gould gave the name of Undina to the genus, and figures the European 

 species under the name of Undina leucocephala. The term Macroput 

 has long been applied as a generic name for the Kangaroos. 



Microptenu is the genus containing the well-known Race-Horse of 

 Cook (Microptenu brachyptena, Anatorackyptera of authors). Captain 

 Philip Parker King, R.N., who has added a second species (Microji- 

 tertu Palachonicta), gives these short-winged but rapidly-progressing 

 Sea-Ducks the familiar name of Steamer-Ducks or Steamers. 



The sub-family Merganince (Meryaue, Bonap.), consists of the genus 

 Meryut, Linn., the Goosanders or Mergansers of the British. Prince 

 Bonaparte makes it include two sub-genera, Mergiu (the Smew) and 

 Merganier, Leach (the Goosander), and places the sub-family next to 

 the fuliffulinir, and immediately preceding the PtUcanida. In the 

 second volume of Mr. Swainson's ' Classification of Birds,' the sub- 

 family is placed after the Fuligvlina, and immediately preceding the 

 family Colymbitla. 



Merganter (Leach). Bill straight, narrow, and slender, sub-cylin- 

 drical anteriorly, wide at the base, and abruptly hooked at tli 



Foot of Iho Mine. 



margins of both mandibles serrated, the serrations or teeth directed 

 backwards. Tongue slender. Feet short, with the toes fully pal- 

 mated, and placed behind the point of equilibrium. 

 M. cottar (Mcrgut Merganser and castor of Liumcus), the GOONUI- 



