366 LONG-TAILBD DUCK- 



avoid the severest rigours of that climate. They are common 

 to the whole northern hemisphere. In the Orkneys they are 

 met with in considerable flocks, from October to April ; fre- 

 quent in Sweden, Lapland, and Russia; are often found about 

 St. Petersburgh, and also in Kamtschatka. Are said to breed 

 at Hudson's Bay, making their nest among the grass near the 

 sea, like the Eider Duck, and about the middle of June lay, 

 from ten to fourteen bluish white eggs, the size of those of a 

 pullet. When the young are hatched the mother carries them 

 to the water in her bill. The nest is lined with the down of 

 her breast, which is accounted equally valuable with that of the 

 Eider Duck, were it to be had in the same quantity.* They 

 are hardy birds, and excellent divers. Are not very common 

 in England, coming there only in very severe winters; and 

 then but in small straggling parties; yet are found on the coast 

 of America as far south at least, as Charleston in Carolina, dur- 

 ing the winter. Their flesh is held in no great estimation, hav- 

 ing a fishy taste. The down and plumage, particularly on the 

 breast and lower parts of the body, are very abundant, and ap- 

 pear to be of the best quality. 



The length of this species is twenty -two inches, extent thir- 

 ty inches; bill black, crossed near the extremity by a band of 

 orange; tongue downy: iris dark red; cheeks and frontlet dull 

 dusky drab, passing over the eye, and joining a large patch of 

 black on the side of the neck, which ends in dark brown ; throat 

 and rest of the neck white; crown tufted, and of a pale cream 

 colour; lower part of the neck, breast, back, and wings black; 

 scapulars and tertials pale bluish white, long and pointed, and 

 falling gracefully over the wings; the white of the lower part 

 of the neck spreads over the back an inch or two, the white of 

 the belly spreads over the sides, and nearly meets at the rump; 

 secondaries chestnut, forming a bar across the wing; primaries, 

 rump, and tail coverts black; the tail consists of fourteen feath- 

 ers, all remarkably pointed, the two middle ones nearly four 



* Latham. 



