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HARLEQUIN DUCK. 



8vo. 2. p. 483. — Le Canard brun, Buff. 9. p. 252. — La Sarcelle brune et blanche, 



Buff. 9, p. 287 Little Brown and White Duck, Edw. t. 157 — Harlequin 



Duck, (female,) Lath. Syn. 6. p. 485. 38. 



We are enabled with certainty to add this species of Duck to the list 

 of British birds from the authority of Mr. Sowerby, in whose collection 

 of the more rare English birds we had an opportunity of examining 

 both sexes, which were killed on the domain of Lord Seaforth, in Scot- 

 land, a few years since, and presented to him by that nobleman. Mr. 

 Simmons also shot a young female in the Orkney islands. 



Linnaeus had considered the female of this species as distinct from 

 his Anas histrionica, and has given it under the name of Anas minuta. 

 Gmelin has followed him, but not without expressing his doubts. 

 Various other authors have considered the sexes as distinct species ; 

 but later observations have clearly proved, beyond doubt, that the Anas 

 minuta is no other than the female Harlequin Duck. 



This species is about the size of the widgeon, but shorter; length 

 seventeen inches ; weight about twenty ounces ; bill small, an inch and 

 a half long, and black ; irides hazel ; from the base of the bill to the 

 eye a white patch ; crown of the head black, bounded by a ferruginous 

 streak; neck black, on each side of which is a white line pointing 

 downwards ; above that is a white spot ; round the breast is a white 

 band, marked with dots of black behind ; this is bounded by a black 

 one ; between this and the wings is a transverse line of white ; the 

 breast bluish ash-colour ; back dusky brown, with a purplish hue ; 

 rump bluish black ; belly and thighs black ; sides dull orange yellow ; 

 wings and tail deep ash-colour ; legs black. 



The Harlequin Duck, like most of the genus, appears to be subject 

 to considerable variety, from the description of various authors. The 

 breast in some is marked with semilunar stripes of white ; the tail is 

 brown, and some of the quill-feathers tipped with white ; and the spot 

 between the bill and eye yellow. 



The female is less, measuring about fourteen inches in length ; the 

 forehead, and between the bill and eye, is white, with a spot of the 

 same behind the ear ; the rest of the plumage above is generally of a 

 dusky brown ; upper part of the breast and rump inclining to rufous ; 

 the lower part of the breast and belly barred with pale rufous and 

 white ; the lower belly and thighs with rufous and brown ; legs dusky. 



This bird is an inhabitant of the more northern parts of the world. 

 It is found in Russia, Iceland, and Greenland, and as far north as 

 Kamschatka : in America, from Carolina to Newfoundland, and at Hud- 

 son's Bay. It is said to frequent bays and rivers during the summer 



