376 THE HARLEaUIN DUCK. 



generally tastes of fish, but that of the female is good during the period of 

 her sojourn on the fresh-water ponds. 



The male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, although many 

 individuals breed in the second year. The female is perfect in the second 

 spring. Dr. Richardson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, describes a male 

 killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, whence it appears 

 that at times it goes far inland; and it is very probable that its habits differ 

 greatly in different localities. 



Harlegiuin Dock, Anas histrionica, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. viii. p. 139. 



Fuligula histrionica, Bonap. Syn., p. 394. 



Clangula histrionica, Harlequin Duck, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 



459. 

 Harlequin Duck, Fuligula histrionica, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 612; vol. v. p. 617. 



Adult Male in summer. 



Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than broad 

 at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is rounded. Upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle, then nearly 

 straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, con- 

 vex towards the end, the sides convex, the edges soft, with about thirty-five 

 oblique internal lamellae, the unguis large and elliptical. Nostrils sub-basal, 

 elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge. Lower man- 

 dible flat, with the angle long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line 

 slightly convex, the edges with about forty lamella?, the unguis elliptical. 



Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of ordi- 

 nary length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet 

 very short, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, having 

 anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer 

 toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind 

 toe very small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than the 

 tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus on their free 

 margins, the inner with a narrow lobed marginal membrane, the outer with 

 a thickened edge, the third and fourth about equal and longest, all covered 

 above with narrow scutella. Claws small, arched, obtuse, that of first toe 

 very small, of third largest, and with an inner thin edge. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head very 

 small and rounded, on the upper part of the head slightly elongated, on the 

 neck narrow, on the other parts broad and rounded. Wings rather short, 

 narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and pointed, the 

 first and second about equal, and longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secon- 



