THE LONG-TAILED DUCK. 231 



head. The young males, as in some other species, 

 resemble the females so closely in their colour and 

 markings as to be with difficulty distinguished from 

 them. 



The Harlequin Duck has been met with in England, 

 though more frequently in Scotland, and especially on 

 its more northern shores ; I have a specimen which was 

 shot on the coast of Aberdeenshire, equal in beauty of 

 plumage to any that I have ever seen. 



The Long - tailed Duck (Harelda glacialis) inhabits 

 principally the coast north of Labrador, and passes 

 through Canada southward generally in November, 

 though more irregularly than most other ducks. 



It may be termed almost exclusively a marine bird, 

 and its flesh is hard and fishy. The plumage, which is 

 exceedingly pretty, varies very much at different seasons 

 of the year and at different ages of the birds. Two 

 long projecting black feathers in the tail of the drake 

 are, however, always a distinguishing feature, and from 

 them the bird's name is derived. The bill is black, with 

 a deep yellow patch near its base. In the normal 

 plumage the head is buff-coloured, and on either side of 

 the throat, which is white, is a large spot of black, 

 extending do^vn the lower part of the neck. The back 

 and breast are black ; and the wings, which are chestnut 

 and dark brown, are prettily covered by the drooping 



