RESTLESS DISPOSITION. 4J5 



over, and the cold severe, many pass the whole of the winter 

 off the coast of Scania in natural openings of the ice. 



The plumage of this beautiful bird, which has a tail like a 

 cock pheasant, varies very greatly according to age, sex, and 

 season of the year ; and what is remarkable, out of fifty 

 specimens, hardly two resemble each other. Its winter 

 dress is well known to us in England, but a description of 

 its summer plumage may not be out of place. 



The head, neck, back, wings, and upper part of the tail of 

 the adult male are then black-brown ; breast lighter brown ; 

 belly, and under part of the tail, white; sides beautifully 

 greyish-white ; sides of the head, in front of the eyes, red- 

 grey; around the eyes a white ring, which is enlarged be- 

 hind, and tapers in a point towards the nape of the neck ; 

 the long-pointed shoulder-feathers black, with broad chestnut- 

 brown edges ; bill, feet, and irides, the same as in the winter. 



The dress of the female does not vary so greatly as that 

 of the male. Its head and neck at the season in question are 

 quite black, most commonly interspersed with greyish-white 

 feathers ; throat white-grey ; upper part of the breast greyish- 

 brown ; lower part somewhat lighter ; back black-grey ; 

 shoulder- feathers same colour, but with lighter, and most 

 generally with reddish edges ; belly and under part of the 

 tail dirty white ; upper part of the tail-feathers greyish- 

 brown, with whitish-grey edges, the two in the middle a little 

 longer than the rest. 



The hareld is a most restless bird, and perpetually in 

 motion. It rarely happens that one sees it in a state of 

 repose during the day time. The flock for there are almost 

 always several in company swim pretty fast against the wind ; 

 and the individuals comprising it keep up a sort of race with 



