x.

Ci nr ee ER SR a Ak a dae ad a a hae P3t

Genus HARELDA.

Gen. Cuar. Beak unarmed at its base, very short, slender, narrow towards the tip; the
under mandible furnished with a small nail at its tip. Nos¢rels linear, basal. Crown

elevated. Taz/ with its intermediate feathers elongated and poited.

LONG-TAILED DUCK.

Anas glacialis, Lenn.
Harelda glacialis, Leach.

Le Canard de miclon.

Tuis species of Duck is generally diffused over the northern regions of the continents of Europe and America,
but is to be considered more especially as a native of the Arctic circle, whence it diverges, but in diminished
numbers, to more southern and temperate latitudes: it is, however, seldom found to extend its migrations in
Europe further south than the British Islands. Wilson informs us, that in America straggling parties are
found in winter as far south as Kingston in Carolina.

These birds resort to the Orkneys during winter, and a few remain there to breed during the summer.
Of this fact we are well convinced, as we have ourselves received them in the breeding season in the height
of their summer plumage. In severe winters the whole of our coast is visited by them in small parties,
which seldom remain any length of time, but return, on the opening of the weather, to more congenial
latitudes. M.'Temminck says they are sometimes found in the great lakes of Germany and on the shores
of Holland, but never in flocks. In Sweden, Lapland and Russia they are in great abundance. The nature
of their food, which consists of mussels and other shelled and naked Mollusca, confines them almost exclu-
sively to the sea, and they are remarkable for their activity and dexterity in diving. Wilson observes, that
they are lively, restless birds, flying swiftly and sweeping round in short excursions.

This species of Duck builds a nest not unlike that of the Eider, and equally valuable for its down: it is
placed among the grass and herbage which grow near the sea-shore, and is lined with down from the
female breast. The eggs are from ten to fourteen in number, of a blueish white tinged with olive colour.

One of the most remarkable peculiarities in this bird is the contrast which exists between the plumage
of winter and of summer, which may be thus described. The male in winter has the head and neck, with
the exception of a blackish brown patch below the ears, of a pure white, as are also the scapularies and
long pendent secondaries which fall over the quills; the abdomen and outer tail-feathers are white ; the
chest, back, shoulders, wings, and middle elongated narrow tail-feathers, which exceed the rest by several
inches, blackish brown. In summer the white on the head which predominates in winter is exchanged for
brownish black, which is then the most universal colour, except that the scapulars and tertials are reddish
brown. Beak greenish black, with a transverse band of red ; tarsi and toes blueish lead colour ; membranes
blackish ; irides orange.

The young males of the year and the adult females resemble each other. In both, the elongated scapularies
and tail-feathers are wanting ; the top of the head and sides of the neck are brown ; the general colour of
the whole of the upper surface dull brown, each feather having a darker centre; the rest of the plumage
white.

We extract the following description of the windpipe of this bird from Shaw’s General Zoology, vol. xii.
p. 177.—** The trachea of this bird is of a singular construction, and differs from that of the other Anatide :
it rather increases in size at each extremity: at the lower end, close to the labyrinth, one side is flattened,
and instead of the bony rings continuing round of their full breadth, this part is crossed with four distant
linear bones as fine as a thread, which support a delicate transparent membrane three quarters of an inch in
length, and almost three eighths of an inch broad at the base : below this ribbed membrane projects the bony
part of the labyrinth, with a tympanum of a kidney shape placed transversely to the trachea, the middle of
which is flat and membranaceous : the opposite side of the labyrinth is depressed, and from the bottom of this
part the branchiz take their origin.”

The Plate exhibits a male and female, in their winter plumage, rather more than three fourths of the
natural size.

4

}
}

D

Vr RODS