OLD-SQUAW 279 



Old-Squaw 



C languid hy emails 

 (klang-gu-la, hi-e-mdl-lis) 



Colour Plate No. 22. Downy Young No. 34. 



SCIENTIFIC NAME 



Clangula, the diminutive of Latin clangor, meaning a noise, (referring to the 

 voice of this duck); hy emails, Latin hiemalis, of or pertaining to hiems, meaning 

 winter or wintry. Hence, a noisy winter duck. 



COLLOQUIAL NAMES 



IN LOCAL USE: Callithumpian duck, refers to the birds' varied notes (improvised 

 bands of uncertain musical ability are called callithumpian bands); caccawee (also 

 spelled cockawee, kakawi, and in other ways); coween (also spelled cowheen, 

 cowine, and in other ways); granny; ha-ha-way (Cree Indian name from the note, 

 as are so many of the names of this species); hell's-chicken; hound; jack-owly; 

 jay-eye-see; kla-how-yah (Indian name); knockmolly; longtail; long-tailed duck; 

 mammy duck; mommy; o-i; old-billy (males); old granny; old-injun (males); old- 

 mammy; old-molly; old-wife (sometimes written alewife or contracted to ol-wye 

 the term o-i, above, probably is an extreme shortening of old wife); organ duck; 

 pintail, quandy; scoldenore; scolder; singing duck; siwash; son-son-sally duck; 

 south-southerly (a name much varied as s'o'ther, southerland, southerly, south-south- 

 southerly, etc.); squaw; swallow-tailed duck; teet; uncle Dick, winter duck. 



DESCRIPTION 



ADULT MALE. WINTER PLUMAGE: (In adult birds the change to this plumage 

 is usually completed by the end of September.) Head and neck, white, except for 

 greyish patch on cheek surrounding eye, and dark brown patch behind eye extending 

 to upper neck, where it shades to buffy brown; bill, decidedly shorter than head, 

 pinkish to pinkish orange near tip, basal half and nail, black, nail broad and well- 

 developed; eye, variable, bright carmine, reddish hazel, light brown, straw or white; 

 eyelids, white. Body. Upper chest and foreback, white, occasionally pearly grey on 

 foreback; scapulars, long and pointed, pearl grey; lower chest, forebreast, hindback 

 and rump, blackish brown; breast and belly, white; sides, pale pearl grey, longer 

 feathers edged with white; feet, bluish grey, with dusky webs. Tail, two middle 

 feathers, greatly elongated and pointed, brownish black; remaining tail-feathers, 

 dusky, edged with white, becoming more white toward outside; upper coverts, 

 blackish brown centrally, white at margin; under coverts, white. Wings. Entire upper 

 surface, brownish black, without trace of white or lighter colour except speculum, 

 chestnut brown; under surface of flight-feathers, dusky; lining and axillars, greyish 

 brown. (Entire plumage presents piebald appearance.) 



SUMMER PLUMAGE: (Change to this plumage is usually completed in May.) 

 Head and neck, brownish black; pattern of side of head, variable, generally with 

 ashy patch from bill to in front of and below eye, with whitish patch behind 

 and above eye, sometimes the whitish patch is reduced to small area behind eye; 

 rarely the ashy patch covers side of head, except for a white eye-ring; bill and 

 eye, same as in winter. Body. Back and scapulars, blackish brown, feathers of fore- 

 back and scapulars broadly edged with rufous brown to buffy; chest, forebreast and 

 rump, blackish brown; breast and belly, white; sides, pearly grey, longer feathers 



