HARLEQUIN DUCK. 369 



with violet colour ; at the base of the bill, and on the 

 ear-coverts, a patch of white ; over the eyes, and down 

 the neck behind the ear-coverts, are streaks of white, that 

 over the eye varied with rufous below, and reaching to 

 the occiput ; at the bottom of the neck, and again below 

 across the chest, are bands of white ; beneath the first, 

 and above and below the second, are narrow bands of 

 black ; back, wing-coverts, and rump, bluish-black ; pri- 

 mary quill-feathers and tail dull black; scapulars and 

 secondaries white ; front of neck between the crescentic 

 bands bluish-grey ; breast below the second band, and the 

 belly dusky grey, becoming darker towards the vent and 

 under tail-coverts, which are bluish-black ; sides of the 

 body and flanks rufous, or chestnut ; legs and toes blue, 

 the membranes darker. The whole length is seventeen 

 inches ; the wing, from the bend, eight inches ; the first 

 quill-feather the longest. The female is considerably 

 smaller than the male, and of a nearly uniform brown 

 colour above, but mottled on the front of the neck and on 

 the breast with two shades of brown, and with a patch of 

 more or less pure white on the forehead, as well as before 

 and behind the eye ; the belly whitish. The whole length 

 is fourteen inches; of the wing, from the carpal joint, 

 seven inches. 



Young males, during their first winter, like the females, 

 but, in the second year, according to Mr. Audubon, " are 

 greyish -brown on the back and wings, light brownish-grey 

 beneath. The head and neck are of a dull leaden blue, 

 the upper part of the head darker. The white spot be- 

 fore the eye is mottled with grey, the line extending over 

 the eye obscure, and the edging of the occiput faint red- 

 dish-brown. The two white marks exist on the sides of 

 the neck, but are merely edged with darker blue ; there 

 are slight indications of the white collar, and the band 



VOL. III. B B 



