ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — HARELDA. 



61 



It is known in the region of the Chesapeake as the "South-southerly," and it 

 usually arrives in those waters between the middle and the last of October. 



Axulubou mentions that on the borders of a large fresh-water lake in Labrador, 

 July 28, he met with several young broods of this species, carefully attended l)y their 

 niotliors. Tlie lake was two miles from the sea, and not a male bird was in sight. 

 He found several of the deserted nests, and all still contained the down which tlie 

 mother liad plucked from her breast to protect tiie eggs in her absence. The nests 

 were under low bushes, among rank weeds, and not more than ten feet from i;he 

 water. They were formed of coarse grass, with an upper layer of finer weeds, atul 

 lined with down. In one of them were two unhatched eggs. These measured 'J.lii 

 inches by 1.5(5. Audubon pursued, and at last caught, several of the young, which 

 kept diving before him like so many water-witches, the mothers keeping aloof, but 

 sounding their notes of alarm and admonition. The old birds did not dive, but 

 seemed constantly to urge their joung to do so ; and he adds, the little things so 

 \ profited by the advice of their parents, that had they remained in the water instead 



\ \ of making ft)r the land, it would have been impossible for him, with all his exertions, 

 to capture a single one. 



The young remain in the i>onds until the end of August, by which time they are 

 able to fly, when they remove to the sea, and soon after leave the coast. 



In Europe the Long-tailed Duck is chiefly known as an inhabitant of the more 

 northern ccnuitries. To Great Britain it is only a winter visitant, coming in small 

 mnnbers, except when the weather is unusually severe ; and the birds arriving at 

 such times are chiefly immature ones. This Duck appears rather often on the coast 

 of Holland, occasionally visits the lakes of Germany, is rare on the coast of France, 

 and is an irregidar or accidental visitor in Italy. In the Orkneys it is known as the 

 " VuUon," from a supposed resemblance of this word to the musical cry it utters when 

 on the wing. 



^Ir. G. C. Atkinson describes a nest of this s])ecies, found by him in Iceland, as 

 placed on the margin of a small lake, lined with down, which contained six eggs. Mr. 

 I'roctor found several nests in the same locality. They were generally among low 

 bushes, by the edge of the fresh water, constructed of a few stems of grass, and lined 

 witli down. The number of eggs varied from six to twelve. These are described as 

 of a pale greenish white, with a tinge of buff cfdor. 



Tiie abundance of this species on our great lakes during the winter, especially on 

 Michigan and such others as are free from ice, is a new and interesting jioint in its 

 historj'. Mr. Nelson found it an exceedingly abundant winter resident in ^lichigan, 

 and sparingly dispersed throughout Illinois during that season. A few stragglers 

 come about tlic last of Octol)er ; but the great body difl not arrive before the 1st of 

 December, departing on the 1st of A])ril. although a few lingered until the last of 

 that month. Profes.sor Kumlien informs me that tliis Duck is frequently met with 

 in winter as a straggh-r in the streams and lakes of Southern Wisconsin. 



The food of this species varies with its feeding-grounds. In shallow water near 

 the coast it collects mollusca, Crustacea, fish, and marine insects. In a few instances 

 tlie remains of the common mussel and shrimp are found. In the summer its stomach 

 is usually filled with fresh-water insects. 



The note of this sjjecies is one of its great jieculiarities, and is very distinct from 

 that of any other of the Ducks, l)eing really musical when heard from a distance, 

 especially if there are a large numl)er of individuals joining in the refrain. The 

 words south-south southerly, to my ear, do not in the least resemble the sounds this 

 bird makes ; they cannot he re])resented, or even imitated. The terms " Old Wives " 



