BIRDS OF NEW YORK 



215 



tributed as follows: broad patch in front of the eye and along the side of 

 the crown, round spot on side of head, broad dash on side of neck, collar 

 about base of neck which is broad in the middle and narrows or disappears 

 on the front and back, crescent in front of wings on the sides of the breast, 

 white spot on wing coverts and bar across the ends of greater coverts and 

 secondaries, broad streaks on scapulars and tertials, and spot in front of 

 tail on either side, all white ; broad stripe along the sides of the head back- 

 ward from above the eye, sides and flanks bright rufous or chestnut ; specu- 

 lum dark metallic violet or purplish ; bill olivaceous ; iris reddish ; feet bluish 

 gray with dusky webs. Female: Plumage in general dark brown, darkest 

 on head and rump, more grayish below, and nearly white on the belly; 

 grayish white spots in front of the eye, on the cheek and behind the ear. 

 Male in summer and young: Similar to the female, the male showing all 

 gradations from the plumage of the female to that of the adult winter 

 male which is not acquired until the third year. 



Length, male, 16-17.5 inches; female, 15-16; extent 23-27; wing 7-8; 

 tail 3-^4; tarsus 1.3; bill i. 05-1. 12. 



Distinguishing marks.. Adult males of this species can not be con- 

 fused with any other duck for an instant, but the female and young are 

 obscure little ducks without definite markings except the two white spots 

 on each side of the head, and the short bill, only one inch in length, higher 

 than wide at the base. 



The Harlequin is an arctic species of rare occurrence in this State 



during winter. It visits the Great Lakes occasionally and one specimen is 



said by Dr Bergtold to have been taken near Buffalo. Specimens from 



near Toronto are reported by Seton [Auk, 2:337] ^^^ by Fleming [Auk, 



17:176]. The following New York records seem to be well authenticated. 



Long Island. (No date). G. N. Lawrence Collection 



Gull island, L. L Jan. 1865. (W. W. Reeves). Butcher, Auk, 3: 434 



Bay s. of Freeport, L. I. Nov. 22, 1878. Badger, Auk, 6: 68 



Fire Island inlet, L. I. Jan. 1883. Butcher, Auk, 3: 435 



Southold, L. I. Winter 1885. (G. E. Post). Butcher, L. I. Notes 



Swinburne island, N. Y. bay. Winter 1887-88. (Smith). Butcher, Auk, 6: 134 



Orient Point, L. I. Nov. 11, 1895. Worthington, Auk, 13: 78 



Montauk Point, L. I. Bee. 2, 1893. (Scott). Butcher, L. I. Notes 



Bellport, L. I. Nov. 10, 1899. (Taken). W. Arthur Babson 



Niagara River, Jan. 9, 1902. (^ juvenal. (A. Thomas, H. Grieb). James Savage 



In relation to the Gull island specimen, we quote from Mr Butcher's 

 Long Island Notes, "I shot it when I was keeper of the light in 1865, dtiring 

 the month of January. There were four of them living aroimd the island 



