614 HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



sea it flies at a small height, but when flying over the land, or even when 

 approaching it, should there be any suspicion of danger, it rises to a con- 

 siderable height. Its food consists of shrimps, small fishes, roe, aquatic in- 

 sects, and moUusca, which it procures by diving. The flesh is dark, and 

 generally tastes of fish, but that of the female is good during the period 

 of her sojourn on the fresh-water ponds. 



The male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, although many 

 individuals breed in the second year. The female is perfect in the 

 second spring. Dr Richardson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, de- 

 scribes a male kiUed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, 

 whence it appears that at times it goes far inland ; and it is very probable 

 that its habits differ greatly in different localities. 



Anas histrionica, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204. — Lath. lud. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 849. 

 Harleciuin Duck, Anas histrionica, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 139. pi. 72, 



fig. 4. 

 FuLiGULA HISTRIONICA, Ch, Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 394. 

 Clangula HISTRIONICA, HARLEQUIN DucK, Swains. and Richards. Fauna. Bor. 



Amer. part iL p. 459. 

 Harlequin Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 448. 



Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 1. 



Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than 

 broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is rounded. 

 Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle, 

 then nearly straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge broad and flat at 

 the base, convex towards the end, the sides convex, the edges soft, with 

 about thirty-five oblique internal lamellae, the unguis large and elliptical. 

 Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than 

 the edge. Lower mandible flat, with the angle long, rather narrow, 

 rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about forty la- 

 mellae, the unguis elliptical. 



Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of 

 ordinary length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small. 

 Feet very short, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, 

 having anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above 

 the outer toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular angular 

 scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior 

 toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having 



