226 GAAfE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



too, he fires at a flock on the wing, and is delighted to see the whole 

 flock drop apparently " stone dead " into the water; but presently 

 his astonishment is great when he sees the litde harlequins all on 

 wing unhurt, and just out of the range of his second barrel. The 

 bill of the Harlequin is very small and short, and tapers rapidly to 

 tip which is wholly occupied by the nail ; the tertiaries are curly. 

 Male deep lead blue ; sides of head and of body behind chestnut ; 

 stripe on crown and tail, black ; a patch at side of bill, on occiput, 

 side of breast and tail, two transverse ones on side of neck and 

 several on wing, and a jugular collar, white. Female brown, paler 

 celow, with a white patch in front of and behind eye. Length 

 about sixteen inches. Specipiens of this beautiful duck are much 

 in request among ornithological collectors, and those shot should 

 always, if possible, be preserved. 



Somateria stellerii^ — ^Jard. Steller^s Eider Dack. 



" Head white with a tinge of grey with a green occipital band , 

 a black chin patch and eye ring ; collar round neck and the upper 

 parts lustrous velvety black ; the lengthened curly scapulars and 

 tertiaries silvery white on the inner webs ; the lesser and middle 

 wing coverts white, the greater coverts and secondaries white- 

 tipped, enclosing the violet speculum, under parts rich reddish 

 brown, blackening on the belly and crissum, fading through buff 

 to white on the breast and sides where there are black spots. Fe- 

 male reddish brown, blackening below, varied with darker on the 

 head, neck and fore parts, tips of greater coverts and secondaries 

 alone white, enclosing the speculum. Length abour eighteen 

 inches." {Coues.) 



A bird of the Northwest coast scarcely or not at all known to 

 sportsmen. 



Somateria fischerii. —CoMes. Spectacled Eider. 

 " Male black or blackish, the throat, most of the neck, fore back, 

 wing coverts, scapulars, tertials, and flank patch white ; nape and 

 occiput green, a whitish space around the eye bounded by black. 

 Female said to be brown varied with darker, the chin and throat 

 whitish, the eye patch obscurely indicated." (Gtk^j.) Male in fall 

 aud winter said to be hke the female. Inhabits the northwest coast 



