Mr. Proctor informed Mr. Hewitsoii “that the Harlequin Duck is by no means common in Iceland, where 
it chiefly frequents caseades and rapidly running streams, building its nest (which is composed of dry leaves, 
grass, and reeds, lined with down) amongst low bushes and water-growing plants, the eggs being from six 
to eight in number. . . . Mr. G. C. Atkinson, of Newcastle, whilst visiting the celebrated Geysers during a 
summer’s ramble in Iceland, had the eggs brought to him, together with the bird, whieh had been shot in 
rising from them. ... I have to thank Mr. Henry B. Milner,” eontinues Mr. Hewitson, “ for the following 
])articulars : — ‘ Of this species, which is scattered throughout the island, though nowhere abundantly, I was 
fortunate enough to discover one nest containing six eggs. It was situated on an island in the rapid river 
Laxa, nearly in the centre, amongst the low arbutus ; I also saw a female and two half-fledged young ones in 
a stream near the Geysers. As far as I could observe, the Harlequin Duek only haunts the rapid rivers and 
streams. I saw about twelve jiairs while in Iceland, and never in one instance observed them in any of the 
numerous lakes which abound throughout the island.’ . . . Holboell says that this is a rare bird in North 
Greenland, whilst it is very common between 62° and 65° N. lat. The nest is always on the bank of a very 
rapid brook, and is so well eoncealed under plants and willows that it is very rarely discovered. The young 
ones are immediately led into the sea. They like a ruffled sea, and, when not breeding, are usually found at 
the most outward islands, where they dive in the midst of the breakers.” 
Audubon states that the flight of the Harlequin Duck “ is rapid and generally straight. At sea it flies at a 
small height; but when flying over the land or even when approaching it, should there be any suspicion of 
danger, it rises to a considerable height. Its food consists of shrimps, small fishes, roe, aquatic insects, and 
mollusca, which it procures by diving. The flesh is dark-coloured and generally tastes of fish ; but that of 
the female is good during the period of her sojourn on the freshwater ponds.” 
The same author informs us that “ the male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, though many 
individuals breed in the second year ; ” but neither Audubon nor any other author, so far as I am aware, 
informs us whether the fantastie colouring of the male is constant, or if it be only assumed during the breeding- 
season — that is, a nuptial dress only. Judging from what is known with respect to the Mergansers and the 
diving ducks allied to the Harlequin, probably the latter is the true state of the case, and in winter both sexes 
are very similarly coloured. 
The eggs are pale buff with a slight tinge of olive, and are two inches and an eighth in length by one inch 
and five eighths in breadth. 
“ The colour of the male is so singularly diversified,” says Swainson in his ‘ Animals in Menageries,’ “ as 
to require much precision in a description which is to convey any accurate idea of the bird. ^Ve should say 
that the ground-colour of the whole plumage, both above and below, is bluish black — of different tints, indeed, 
but in all parts dark ; upon this ground are many bold bands, stripes, and spots of white, giving the bird a 
most elegant appearance. A large j)atch of this sort fills up the head between the eye and bill ; another, 
small and round one is just on the ear ; and a third, longer and narrower, is behind it ; the crown is margined 
on each side by a stripe of white, which changes to ferruginous after it passes the eye; at the bottom of the 
neck is a narrow white collar, which separates the deep black of the head and throat from the cinereous or 
lavender-black of the breast ; on each side of the breast is a broad transverse stripe of white, margined 
above and below by a narrow one of velvet black ; the greater wing-coverts terminate in a white bar, and the 
outer edges of the tertials are marked with black and white stripes ; the speculum, which covers all the 
secondary quills, is of a very dark glossy blue ; sides of the body and flanks ehestnut-brown ; vent, rump, and 
tail-coverts velvet black ; at the base of the tail on each side is a white spot ; quills and tail brownish ; bill 
and a small fleshy flap of naked skin at the base of the upper mandible bluish black, tip and legs brown.” 
The female is thus described by Dr. Richardson : — “ Above, dark liver-brown ; quills and tail blackish 
brown ; rump and the flank-feathers that hang down over the thigh pale umher ; a spot behind the ears, a 
smaller one on each side of the forehead, and some mottling under the eye white ; upper part of the breast 
and the sides under the wings yellowish brown, edged with brownish grey ; rest of the under plumage 
greyish white, broadly barred across the middle of each feather with dove-brown. The size is much inferior 
to that of the male.” 
The Plate represents a male, of about the natural size, a female, considerably reduced, and a second male 
in the distance. 
