158 The Water-fowl Family 



Downy young Top of head and upper parts, blackish brown; face 

 and neck, white ; under parts and a spot on each wing and thigh, 

 white. 



Eggs Seven to ten in number, a dark brownish gray in color, and 

 measure 2.20 by 1.70 inches. 



Habitat Breeds from Newfoundland, Labrador, Fort Rae, and 

 British Columbia, and south in the mountains to Colorado and 

 California, north to Greenland, the Arctic Coast, and the Kowak 

 and Yukon rivers, Alaska, and occurs all summer in flocks near 

 the Pribilof and Aleutian islands. Breeds also in northeastern 

 Asia and in Iceland. On the Atlantic Coast occurs south regu- 

 larly in winter to Maine, and rarely to New Jersey ; in the inte- 

 rior rarely to western New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, 

 Missouri, and Colorado; and on the Pacific Coast from the 

 Aleutians to Monterey, California. Frequently taken in Europe 

 and in Asia, south to Japan. 



Harlequin well named, this beautiful duck is 

 seldom found within our country. The Alaskan 

 Indian and Eskimo see him along their shores 

 and inland lakes. There it breeds and lives, con- 

 tent with winter's cold if left with open water, 

 occasionally in severe weather coming within the 

 limit of the United States. In Alaska the harle- 

 quin breeds on the mountain streams of the inte- 

 rior and early resorts to the islands of the coast. 

 Here about the Aleutian Islands and at Unalaska 

 they gather in large flocks, feeding on various 

 shellfish and Crustacea. In June and through 

 the summer they are found on the water near the 

 ice and cliffs, floating gracefully on the surface, 

 or flying low in lines, fitting ornaments of the 

 wild coast. 



