SEA DUCATS. 225 



the bays and estuaries for food, and in passing over the line 

 give good shots to the gunners. As many as fifty birds are some- 

 times secured in this way by an expert, in a morning's shooting. 



Although the Old Squaw is one of our typical sea ducks, it is 

 not confined to the coast alone, but is found in considerable num- 

 bers on some of the larger inland waters, being common in winter 

 on Lake Michigan, and no doubt on others of the Great Lakes, 

 It occurs also in great numbers on the California coast. 



This species breeds on fresh water ponds and lakes in Labra- 

 dor, and probably throughout the British Possessions, generally, 

 however, selecting for this purpose a body of water not far from 

 the sea. It reaches our middle districts in November, and is enor- 

 mously abundant from that time until April. Most of the common 

 names of the species are taken from its noisy habits, for it is 

 almost continually calling. The notes are very musical. 



Camptolemus labradorius . — Gray. Labrador Duck. Pied Duck. 



Bill enlarged toward the end. The male has the body and 

 primaries black, as also a black collar and lengthwise coronal 

 strip, rest of head neck and wing white. Female plain greyish. 

 Length two feet. This species was in the time of Wilson and Au- 

 dubon, common along our coast as far south as New York in win- 

 ter, but it is at present one of the rarest of our ducks. It is a 

 species of northern distribution, only entering the United States in 

 winter. 



Histrionicus torqtcatus. — Bon. Harlequin Duck. Lord (male). Lady (female). 



This beautiful species is nowhere common. It is a bird of 

 Europe, and is scattered over the whole of the northern portion 

 of our country, occurring on the northwest coast in small numbers. 

 It breeds sparingly in the northern Rocky Mountains, but perhaps 

 it is as common on the coast of Newfoundland as anywhere else. 

 Here the male and female of this species are called " lords and 

 ladies," and are beautiful birds, and perhaps the most expert of 

 divers. The sportsman is amazed to find that one of these birds 

 can escape the shot of his percussion gun by diving, though sitting 

 quietly on the water at a distance of but twenty yards. Sometimes, 

 10* 



