LONG-TAILED DUCK. 233 



blue or leaden colour ; the plumage of the head and half 

 of the neck is thick, long, and velvety, projecting greatly 

 over the lower part of the neck ; this plumage on the 

 forehead and nape is rich glossy green, changing into 

 a shining purple on the crown and sides of the neck ; 

 from the eyes backward passes a broad band of pure 

 white ; iris of the eye, dark ; back, wings, and part of 

 the scapulars, black ; rest of the scapulars, lateral band 

 along the wing, and whole breast, snowy white ; belly, 

 vent, and tail-coverts, dusky white ; tail, pointed, and 

 of a hoary colour. 



The female is considerably less than the male, and 

 entirely destitute of the tumid plumage of the head ; 

 the head, neck, and upper parts of the body, and wings, 

 are sooty black, darkest on the crown; side of the 

 head marked with a small oblong spot of white ; bill, 

 dusky; lower part of the neck, ash, tipt with white; 

 belly, dull white ; vent, cinereous ; outer edges of six 

 of the secondaries and their incumbent coverts, white, 

 except the tips of the latter, which are black ; legs and 

 feet a livid blue; tail, hoary brown; length of the 

 intestines three feet six inches; stomach filled with 

 small shell fish. This is the spirit duck of Pennant, so 

 called from its dexterity in diving, (Arctic Zoology, 

 No. 487.) likewise the little brown duck of Catesby 

 {Natural History of Carolina, pi. 98.) 



This species is said to come into Hudson's Bay, about 

 Severn River, in June, and make their nests in trees 

 in the woods near ponds. * The young males, during 

 the first year, are almost exactly like the females in 

 colour. 



281. JLNAS GLACI4LIB, LINNJEUS AND WILSON. 



LONG-TAILED DUCK. 

 WILSON, PL. LXX. FIG. I. MALE. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 



THIS duck is very generally known along the shores 

 of the Chesapeake Bay, by the name of south-southerly, 



* LATHAM. 



