486 THE HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



red patches on the sides of the swelling at the base of the 

 bill, and fork-shaped spot on the throat, black; breast, dark- 

 cream. The female is reddish-brown, marked with black, 

 with a little white on the wings. The species can always 

 be determined by the downward curve of the long scapulars. 

 The Labrador Duck (Somateria labradorid), an arctic spe- 

 cies, formerly found from New Jersey northward in winter, 

 is now so rare as to be regarded almost extinct. Some 20 

 inches long and 30 in extent, it has a long patch along the 

 crown and down the back of the head, collar around the 

 lower neck continuing and enlarging over the back; the 

 primaries and the under parts, black; the other parts are 

 white; thus making a very strongly marked species. 



THE HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



The most fantastic of all our Ducks is the Harlequin 

 {Histrionicus torquatus), or Lord and Lady, as the two sexes 

 are called on the coasts of New England. About 17 inches 

 long and 27-28 in extent, bill short and small, tail rather 

 long and pointed, the male has the head and neck of dusky- 

 ash; upper breast and shoulders, bluish-ash; under parts, 

 dusky-brown; triangular-crescent spot at the base of the 

 bill, in front of the eye and extending up on the crown; a 

 narrow line on the back of the crown, a spot back of the 

 ear, a long one on the neck, a narrow ring around the lower 

 neck, large epaulets; markings on the scapulars, tertiaries, 

 wing-coverts and sides at the base of the tail, white; the 

 white generally margined with black; a streak on each side 

 of the crown, and the long feathers on the sides, chestnut- 

 red or brown; rump, tail, and under-tail coverts, black. 

 The female is dusky-brown, with whitish markings in 

 front of the eye, and a clear white spot back of the ear. 

 The young males are several years in coming to maturity. 



