458 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



[217.] 3. Clangula albeola. (Leach.) Spirit Duck. 



Sub-family, Fuligulinae, Sw. Genus, Clangula, Leach. 



The little black and white duck. Edwards, pi. 100, male. 



Anas albeola. Forster, Phil. Trans., lxii., p. 410, No. 47. 



Spirit duck (Anas albeola). PBym.,Arct. ZooL, ii., p. 558, No. 487. 



Buffel duck (Anas bucephala). Idem, p. 559, No. 489. 



Buffel-headed duck {Anas albeola). Wilson, riii., p. 51, pl.C7, f. 2, male; f. 3, female. 



Fuligula albeola. Bonap., Syn., p. 394, No. 343. 



Wakaishee-weesheep, Waw-haisheep, Wappano-' sheep. Cree Indians and Chippeways. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan, May, 1827. 



Colour. — Forehead, region of the bill, nuchal crest, and upper sides of the neck rich 

 duck-green, blending with the resplendent auricula-purple of the top of the head and throat. 

 Broad band from the eye to the tip of the occipital crest, lower half of the neck, the shoulders, 

 exterior scapulars, intermediate and greater coverts, outer webs of five or six secondaries, 

 flanks, and under plumage to the vent, pure white. Back, long scapulars, and tertiaries, 

 velvet-black; lesser coverts bordering the wing the same edged with white; primaries and 

 their coverts brownish-black. Tail coverts blackish-grey ; tail broccoli-brown. Vent and 

 under tail coverts greyish. Bill bluish-black. Legs yellowish. — In many spring specimens, 

 the under plumage is ash-grey. 



Form. — Bill smaller, in proportion, than that of the common Garrot, and the nostrils 

 nearer the base ; but otherwise similar. Head large, with the upper part of the neck clothed 

 in velvety plumage, rising into a short thick crest. Wings 2^ inches shorter than the tail. 

 Tail: lateral feathers graduated, three middle pairs even. 



Female (killed same place, July 18) considerably smaller. Head and dorsal plumage 

 dark blackish-brown ; the fore part of the back, scapulars, and tertiaries, edged with yellowish- 

 brown. Fore part of the neck, sides of the breast, flanks, and vent feathers, blackish-grey ; 

 breast and belly white, glossed with brownish-orange. White band on the ears and occiput 

 much narrower than in the male. The white speculum is less perfect, and the whole of the 

 lesser coverts and scapulars are unspotted blackish-brown. Bill and feet brownish. Total 

 length 14| inches ; of wing 6 inches ; of tarsus 14 lines ; and middle toe (excluding nail) 

 20 lines. 



The young males resemble the females. 



Dimensions 

 Of the male. 



Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 



Length, total ..160 Length of bill above . 1 1 Length of middle toe . 2 



,, of tail . . .29 „ of bill to rictus .16 „ of its nail . 3£ 



,, of wing ..68 „ of tarsus . .14 „ of outer toe . .2 1^ 



Individuals differ considerably in size, the length of the folded wing varying nearly an inch. 

 The above is medium sized. — R. 



