346 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



demarcation-line. Nostrils in basal half of bill. Tail rather long, 

 much graduated and pointed, 14 rectrices. Sexes very different. 

 One species. 



HISTRIONICUS HISTRIONICUS 



318. Histrionicus histrionicus histrionicus (L.) — THE HARLE- 

 QUIN-DUCK. 



Anas histrionica Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 127 (1758 — America. 



Typical locality ; Newfoundland). 



Cosmonetta histrionica (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 452 : Saunders, p. 457. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter and summer. — A band of 

 black glossed deep blue from base of upper mandible along centre 

 of crown to nape ; triangular white or cream patch on lores (out- 

 lined with blackish -plumbeous at side next eye) extending on to 

 fore -head and continued on crown as narrow streak running parallel 



The Harlequin-Duck {Histrionicus h. histrionicus). Adult male. 



for a short way with black mesial band ; from fore -head to nape on 

 either side of black mesial band, a cinnamon-rufous streak ; narrow 

 white streak under eye, often ill -defined ; small white auricular 

 spot, and on sides of neck an oval white patch, both usually out- 

 lined blackish-plumbeous ; chin and throat blackish -plumbeous, 

 rest of head and neck dark plumbeous ; narrow white collar outlined 

 black encircles lower-neck, in some incomplete on breast, broadest 

 on upper -mantle where it almost meets ; from side of upper-mantle 

 to upper -breast patch of white broadly outlined black ; mantle and 

 upper scapulars dark plumbeous, feathers with olive-brown bases 

 sometimes imperfectly concealed ; rest of scapulars more or less 

 white bordered or tipped dark plumbeous, lower ones dark greyish - 

 plumbeous ; feathers of back and rump olive-brown shaded plum- 



