LONG-TAILED DUCK. 
99 
qiient in Sweden, Lapland, and Russia ; are often found about St. 
Petersburgh, and also in Kamtschatka. Are said to breed at Hud- 
son’s bay, making their nest among the grass near the sea, like 
the Eider Duck, and about the middle of June, lay from ten to 
fourteen bluish white eggs, the size of those of a pullet. When 
the young are hatched the mother carries them to the water in her 
bill. The nest is lined with the down of her breast, which is ac- 
counted equally valuable with that of the Eider Duck, were it to 
be had in the same quantity.* They are hardy birds, and excel- 
lent divers. Are not very common in England, coming there only 
in very severe winters ; and then but in small straggling parties ; 
yet are found on the coast of America as far south as Charleston 
in Carolina, during the winter. Their flesh is held in no great es- 
timation, having a fishy taste. The down and plumage, particular- 
ly on the breast and lower parts of the body, are very abundant, 
and appear to be of the best quality. 
The length of this species is twenty-two inches, extent thirty 
inches ; bill black, crossed near the extremity by a band of orange ; 
tongue downy ; iris dark red; cheeks and frontlet dull dusky drab, 
passing over the eye, and joining a large patch of black on the 
side of the neck, which ends in dark brown ; throat and rest of the 
neck white ; crown tufted, and of a pale cream color ; lower part 
of the neck, breast, back, and wings, black ; scapulars and terlials 
pale bluish white, long and pointed, and falling gracefully over 
the wings ; the white of the lower part of the neck spreads over 
the back an inch or two ; the white of the belly spreads over the 
sides, and nearly meets at the rump ; secondaries chestnut, form- 
ing a bar across the wing ; primaries, rump, and tail-coverts, black ; 
the tail consists of fourteen feathers, all remarkably pointed, the 
two middle ones nearly four inches longer than the others, these, 
with the two adjoining ones, are black, the rest white ; legs and feet 
dusky slate. 
^ Latham. 
