HARLEQUIN DUCK. 273 



where it is known by the dignified title of Lord, — pro- 

 bably from the elegant crescent and circles of white 

 which ornament its neck and breast. Though an inha- 

 bitant of both continents, little else is known of its par- 

 ticular manners, than that it swims and dives well, flies 

 swiftly and to a great height, and has a whistling note. 

 It is said to frequent the small rivulets inland from 

 Hudson's Bay, where it breeds. The female lays ten 

 white eggs on the grass : the young are prettily speck- 

 led. It is here called the Painted Duck ; and at New- 

 foundland, as well as on the coast of New England, 

 the Lord, "^^^ilson, on what authority we know not, 

 adds, that " it is often seen in deep water considerably 

 out at sea." According to Latham and Pennant (both 

 very dubious authorities in all cases where locality is 

 concerned), it is found in Europe as far as Lake Baikal, 

 and thence to Kamtschatka, particularly up the River 

 Ochotska ; and was also met with at Avonalaska, and in 

 Iceland. Wilson adds, — " The few specimens of this 

 duck which I have met with, were all males ; and from 

 the variation in their colours, it appears 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 irregu- 

 larly half way down the neck ; in others, confined to a 

 roundish spot. The flesh is said to be excellent." Mr. 

 Selby remarks, that " this is one of our rarest winter 

 visitants, the (known) instances of its capture being con- 

 fined to three or four, all of which occurred in the 

 northern parts of Scotland."* The two sexes figured by 

 Sowerby t, were from that country ; and he mentions 

 that another (a young female) had been shot in one of 

 the Orkney Islands. 



The colour of the male is so singularly diversified, 

 as to require much precision in a description which is to 

 convey any accurate idea of the bird. We should say 

 that the ground colour of the whole plumage, both above 



* Selby, III. Brit. Orn. ii. 370. t British Miss. i. pi. a 



