372 HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



tipt with red, irides dark: upper part of the head black ; between 

 the eye and bill a broad space of white, extending over the eye, 

 and ending in reddish; behind the ear a similar spot; neck black, 

 ending below in a circle of white; breast deep slate, shoulders 

 or sides of the breast, marked with a semicircle of white; belly 

 black; sides chestnut; body above black or deep slate, some of 

 the scapulars white; greater wing coverts tipt with the same; 

 legs and feet deep ash; vent and pointed tail black. 



The female is described as being less, " the forehead, and 

 between the bill and eye, white, with a spot of the same behind 

 the ear; head, neck, and back, brown, palest on the fore part of 

 the neck; upper part of the breast and rump red brown, lower 

 breast and belly barred pale rufous and white; behind the thighs 

 rufous and brown; scapulars and wing coverts rufous brown; 

 outer greater ones blackish; quills and tail dusky, the last inclin- 

 ing to rufous; legs dusky."* 



The few specimens of this Duck which I have met with, 

 were all males; and from the variation in their colours it ap- 

 pears evident that the young birds undergo a considerable 

 change of plumage before they arrive at their full colours. In 

 some the white spot behind the eye was large, extending irre- 

 gularly half way down the neck; in others confined to a round- 

 ish spot. 



The flesh of this species is said to be excellent. 



* Latham. 



