( *56 ) 
7he Long-tailed Duck from Hudfon’s-Bay. 
T HIS Bird appeared to me to be of the Size of a Wdigeon. Here follow 
fome of its principal Meafures: From Bill-point to the Angles of the Mouth 
is a little above an Inch and Half in Length; the Wing is when clofed eight Inches 
long; the Leg below Knee not full an Inch and Half j the longeft Toe a little over two 
Inches j the longeft Feathers in the Tail are eight Inches long. 
The Bill is like that of moft other Ducks, having nothing remarkable in its 
Figure, of a black Colour, except towards the Point of the upper Mandible, where 
it is Red, the very Point or Hook being Black; the Sides of the Head, from the Bill 
backward, have white broad Spots, ending in Points about the Ears: In thefe Spots 
are placed the Eyes ; the Hinder-part of the Head is AOi-colour’d j the Remainder 
of the Head, Neck and Breaft is of a rufty Black, as is the Back, and Covert- 
Feathers on the upper Sides of the Wings; the greater Quills of the Wings are 
Dufky or Black j the middle ones which follow them are Brown; the Remainder 
next the Back are of a brighter reddifh Brown ; the Coverts within Side of the 
Wings are of a dufky Brown. At the Bottom of the Neck behind, the Feathers 
are of a brownifh Colour, as are the Shoulders, or the Feathers that part the Back 
from the Wings; the Rump and Coverts of the Tail have a black Lift running 
down through them, with white Feathers on each Side; the two middle Feathers of 
the Tail are Black, long, narrow and fharp-pointed, fhooting out four Inches be¬ 
yond the other Feathers; the next to thefe are Afh-colour’d ; the next out¬ 
ward become White, and are gradually fhorter to the outermoft Feathers, which are 
the fhorteft of all. The Belly and the Covert-Feathers under the Tail are White; 
the Legs and Toes are of a reddifh Brown ; the Webs that join the three forward 
Toes are Dufky or Black. It hath a Fin on the Infide of the inner Toe ; the Back- 
Toe is fmall, with an appendant Fin ; the Claws are Dufky. 
This Duck was brought from Hudfon’s-Bay by Mr. If am, and I believe hath 
never been figured; but I think it hath been defcribed by Wormius , as a Duck of 
Iceland. A Tranflation of his Defcription may be feen in Willughbf s Ornithology , 
(See the Sharp-tailed Iceland Duck , call’d by the Icelanders Havelda ) P. 364. So 
that this Duck may be a Native of America only, for If and or Iceland may rather be 
deemed a Part of North America than of Europe , fince it is nearer the fuppofed Con¬ 
tinent of Groenland [a Part of America ] than to any Part of Europe. 
