LONG-TAILED DUCK. 
233 
blue or leaden colour ; the plumage of the head and half 
of the neck is thick, long, and velvety, projecting greatly 
over the lower part of the neck ; this plumage on the 
forehead and nape is rich glossy green, changing into 
a shining purple on the crown and sides of the neck ; 
from the eyes backward passes a broad band of pure 
white ; iris of the eye, dark ; back, wings, and part of 
the scapulars, black ; rest of the scapulars, lateral band 
along the wing, and whole breast, snowy white ; belly, 
vent, and tail-coverts, dusky white ; tail, pointed, and 
of a hoary colour. 
The female is considerably less than the male, and 
entirely destitute of the tumid plumage of the head ; 
the head, neck, and upper parts of the body, and wings, 
are sooty black, darkest on the crown ; side of the 
head marked with a small oblong spot of white ; bill, 
dusky; lower part of the neck, ash, tipt with white ; 
belly, dull white ; vent, cinereous ; outer edges of six 
of the secondaries and their incumbent coverts, white, 
except the tips of the latter, which are black ; legs and 
feet a livid blue ; tail, hoary brown ; length of the 
intestines three feet six inches ; stomach filled with 
small shell fish. This is the spirit duck of Pennant, so 
called from its dexterity in diving, ( Arctic Zoology , 
No. 487.) likewise the little brown duck of Catesby 
( Natural History of Carolina , pi. 98.) 
This species is said to come into Hudson’s Bay, about 
Severn River, in June, and make their nests in trees 
in the woods near ponds.* The young males, during 
the first year, are almost exactly like the females in 
colour. 
281. ANAS GLACIALIS, LINNiEUS AND WILSON. 
LONG-TAILED DUCK. 
WILSON, PL. LXX. FIG. I. MALE EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
This duck is very generally known along the shores 
of the Chesapeake Bay, by the name of south-southerly, 
* Latham. 
