290 WATER FOWL. 



GENUS HA VELD A 

 (Havelda, Norw. Havelde, a. Sea Dtick). 



Harelda (misprint or misspelling for Havelde). Stephens in 

 Shaw's Gen. Zool., 1824, vol. xii., pt. ii., p. 174, Type A/tas 

 glacialis, Linn. 



Bill shorter than head, equal to tarsus, widest at base, narrow- 

 ing rapidly to tip. Nail hooked. No lateral angles from base of 

 culmen, loral feathering at base of bill nearly a straight line. 

 Nostrils situated high on basal half of bill. Tail pointed, of 14 

 feathers ; median pair slender and greatly elongated. 



Only one species is recognized of this genus, a native of both 

 the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, the familiar Old Squaw, 

 or South Southerly of sportsmen. The male is remarkable for 

 the greatly elongated middle feathers of the tail. It is a Sea 

 Duck, flesh fishy and disagreeable in flavor, goes in flocks of con- 

 siderable size, and flies with great rapidity. There is a striking 

 difference in the plumage of summer and winter, the male, es- 

 pecially, in the two seasons appearing like quite another bird. 



GENUS HISTRIONICUS 



(Latin histrionicus, theatrical, relating to the bird's 

 fantastic coloring). 



Histrionicus, Less. Man. d'Orn., 1828, vol. ii., p. 415. Type 

 Anas histrionicus, Linn. 



Bill small, about half the length of head, shorter than tarsus, 

 tapering rapidly to the tip, which is rounded and occupied by the 

 hooked nail. Height at base equal to the extreme width. Loral 

 feathering convex on base of bill. Frontal feathers advancing 

 on culmen beyond the lores. Nostrils basal, and situated high 

 on bill just beneath the culmen. Tail pointed. 



This handsome bird with its fantastic markings, known as the 

 Harlequin Duck, is the only species of this genus. The female 

 is attired very differently from the male, and, by the side of her 

 brilliant " Lord," she is a very plain little body. This species is 

 essentially a bird of the north, rarely entering the waters of tem- 

 perate climes, and while it has a wide distribution over northern 

 North America, it is also a. native of Iceland, straggling occa- 



