372 
HARLEQUIN DUCK. 
tipt with red, irides dark: upper part of the head black; between 
the eye and bill a broad space of white, extending over the eye, 
and ending in reddish; behind the ear a similar spot; neck black, 
ending below in a circle of white; breast deep slate, shoulders 
or sides of the breast, marked with a semicircle of white; belly 
black; sides chestnut; body above black or deep slate, some of 
the scapulars white; greater wing coverts tipt with the same; 
legs and feet deep ash; vent and pointed tail black. 
The female is described as being less, “ the forehead, and 
between the bill and eye, white, with a spot of the same behind 
the ear; head, neck, and back, brown, palest on the fore part of 
the neck; upper part of the breast and rump red brown, lower 
breast and belly barred pale rufous and white; behind the thighs 
rufous and brown; scapulars and wing coverts rufous brown; 
outer greater ones blackish; quills and tail dusky, the last inclin- 
ing to rufous; legs dusky. 
The few specimens of this Duck which I have met with, 
were all males; and from the variation in tlieir colours it ap- 
pears evident that the young birds undergo a considerable 
change of plumage before they arrive at their full colours. In 
some the white spot behind the eye was large, extending irre- 
gularly half way down the neck; in others confined to a round- 
ish spot. 
The flesh of this species is said to be excellent. 
Latham. 
