WILD DUCKS. 299 
nized by its hue and bill, the latter being broad and flat, 
and having an overhanging nail. An adult male has a 
length of fifteen inches. The female, which is not so 
large, is of a brownish hue above; the top of the head ig 
brown, and the under tail-coverts are white. 
The harlequin duck (Histrionicus torquatus), is only 
sparingly found in the Rocky Mountain region, but it is 
common in Canada, especially about Labrador and New- 
foundland, where the male is known as “lord,” and the 
female as ‘‘lady.” This beautiful creature has a small 
bill that tapers rapidly to the tip. The male is 
plumbeous in hue; the posterior part of the body is chest- 
nut; the sides of the head are of the same color; a black 
stripe on the crown and tail is quite prominent; and the 
jugular collar is white. The female has a white patch in 
front of and behind the eye, and she is paler beneath than 
the male. The length of the latter is about sixteen 
inches, and the weight from fourteen to twenty ounces. 
This species is very expert in diving, and teams have the 
habit of dropping into the water, as if all were dead, 
after they have been fired at, only to take wing again in 
afew moments. They certainly deserve their local name, 
for no harlequins that ever appeared in pantomime are 
more dexterous at appearing and disappearing suddenly 
than they are. 
The long-tailed duck (Harelda glacialis), which is also 
known as the hound, old wife, and south-southerly, is 
very common on the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific 
Oceans. The tail, from which it derives its popular 
name, is composed of fourteen narrow, pointed feathers, 
those in the middle being often equal to the wing in 
length, especially in the male. The latter is grayish 
about the sides of the head in summer, but in winter the 
whole head, neck, and anterior parts of the body are 
white, except a dark patch on the neck. The body-color 
varies according to the season, but the species may be 
