A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

Harlequin Duck, Anas histrionica, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 139.

Fuligula histrionica, Bonap. Syn. p. 394.

Clangula histrionica, Harlequin Duck, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 459.

Harlequin Duck, Fuligula histrionica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 612; v. v. p. 617.

411. 16. Fuligula glacialis, Linn. Long-tailed Duck.

Plate CCCXII. Male, Female, and Young.

Male with the bill black in its basal half, orange-yellow towards the end; the scapulars much elongated and tapering, the tail very long, acuminate, of fourteen feathers; a large oblong greyish-white patch on each side of the head from the bill to behind the ear; the upper part of the head and nape black, that colour being narrowed in front by the encroachment of the white patches; neck all round, and anterior half of the breast, dark chocolate; back and wing-coverts brownish-black; scapulars broadly margined with light reddish-brown; quills chocolate, secondaries externally margined with lighter, primaries internally; middle four feathers of the tail brownish-black, the outer two of these margined with white, all the rest white, but the inner with a longitudinal patch of dusky on the outer webs. Male in winter with the head, neck, fore part of back, and scapulars, white; space about the eye pale greyish-red, and a large oblong patch of chocolate-brown on the side of the neck; upper parts including the middle four tail-feathers, brownish-black, but the secondary quills tinged with reddish-brown, and having paler margins; anterior half of breast chocolate-brown, the rest of lower parts and the four lateral tail-feathers white. Female considerably smaller, with the scapulars not elongated, and the tail short and rounded; bill dusky green; head dark greyish-brown, with a patch of greyish-white surrounding the eye, but not extending to the bill; a large patch of the same colour on the side of the neck, the hind part of which is dusky brown, the fore part greyish-brown, the feathers broadly margined with whitish; the upper parts dark greyish-brown, the two lateral tail-feathers edged with white; lower parts white, the feathers under the wings slightly tinged with grey.

Male, 23, 29¹/₂. Female, 15³/₄, 26.

Breeds from Labrador northward to the Arctic Seas. Abundant during winter along the coasts of the Atlantic Districts to the mouth of the Mississippi. Never in the interior.

Long-tailed Duck, Anas glacialis, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 93.

Fuligula glacialis, Bonap. Syn. p. 395.

Long-tailed Duck, Harelda glacialis, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 460.

Long-tailed Duck, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 453.

Long tailed Duck, Fuligula glacialis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 103.

FAMILY XL. MERGINÆ. MERGANSERS.

Bill rather long, straight, rather slender but strong, tapering, higher than broad at the base, nearly cylindrical toward the end; upper mandible with the dorsal outline sloping gently to the middle, then straight, along the unguis suddenly decurved; the ridge broad and flattened at the base, then convex, the sides sloping, toward the end convex, the edges serrate internally with oblique dentiform lamellæ, the unguis oblong, much curved, abruptly rounded at the end; nasal groove elongated, covered by the soft skin of the bill; lower mandible with the angle very narrow and extended to the unguis, which is obovate, the sides nearly erect, with a long narrow groove, the edges internally serrate, the unguis convex, thick-edged. Head rather large, compressed, oblong; neck of moderate length; body full, depressed, rather elongated. Feet placed far behind, stout; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly covered with small scutella, and another series on the lower half externally. Hind toe very small, with an inferior free membrane; anterior toes half as long again as the tarsus, second shorter than the fourth, which is almost as long as the third, all scutellate, and connected by anteriorly concave webs. Claws rather small, moderately arched, compressed, acute. Plumage moderately full, dense, soft, glossy, blended beneath. Wings of moderate breadth, convex, acute; inner secondaries elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of more than twelve feathers. Upper mandible with an internal series of small papillæ or laminæ on each side, besides those on the margin. Tongue long, fleshy, emarginate and papillate at the base, tapering, with a double row of slender reversed papillæ along the upper surface, and two lateral series of filaments on each side, the tip lacerated; œsophagus very wide, of nearly uniform diameter; stomach a strong gizzard of moderate or small size, with the lateral muscles thick; epithelium dense and longitudinally rugous; intestine long, rather narrow; cœca rather long; cloaca globular. Trachea with one or two extensive dilatations, besides the enormously developed tympanum at the bifurcation; no inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, or in hollow trees. Eggs numerous.