THE HARLEQUIN DUCK. 
87 
generally tastes of fish, but that of the female is good during the period of 
her sojourn on the fresh-water ponds. 
The male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, although many 
individuals breed in the second year. The female is perfect in the second 
spring. Dr. Richardson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, describes a male 
killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, whence it appears 
that at times it goes far inland ; and it is very probable that its habits 
differ greatly in different localities. 
Harlequin Duck, Anas histrionica, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. viii. p. 139. 
Fuligula histrionica, Bonap. Syn., p. 394. 
Clangula histrionica, Harlequin Duck, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol.ii. p. 
459. 
Harlequin Duck, Fuligula histrionica , Aud. Orn. Biog.,vol. iii. p. 612 ; vol. v. p. 61 7. 
k 
Adult Male in summer. 
Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than broad 
at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is rounded. Upper 
mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle, then nearly 
straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, con- 
vex towards the end, the sides convex, the edges soft, with about thirty-five 
oblique internal lamellse, the unguis large and elliptical. Nostrils sub-basal, 
elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge. Lower man- 
dible flat, with the angle long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line 
slightly convex, the edges with about forty lamellm, the unguis elliptical. 
Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of ordi- 
nary length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet 
very short, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, having 
anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer 
toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind 
toe very small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior toes longer than the 
tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus on their free 
margins, the inner with a narrow lobed marginal membrane, the outer with 
a thickened edge, the third and fourth about equal and longest, all covered 
above with narrow scutella. Claws small, arched, obtuse, that of first toe 
very small, of third largest, and with an inner thin edge. 
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head very 
small and rounded, on the upper part of the head slightly elongated, on the 
neck narrow, on the other parts broad and rounded. Wings rather short, 
narrow, pointed ; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and pointed, the 
first and second about equal* and longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secon- 
