Part 94

HARLEQUIN DUCK, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 448.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 1.

Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is rounded. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle, then nearly straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, convex towards the end, the sides convex, the edges soft, with about thirty-five oblique internal lamellæ, the unguis large and elliptical. Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge. Lower mandible flat, with the angle long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about forty lamellæ, the unguis elliptical.

Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet very short, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus on their free margins, the inner with a narrow lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thickened edge, the third and fourth about equal and longest, all covered above with narrow scutella. Claws small, arched, obtuse, that of first toe very small, of third largest, and with an inner thin edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head very small and rounded, on the upper part of the head slightly elongated, on the neck narrow, on the other parts broad and rounded. Wings rather short, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and pointed, the first and second about equal, and longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad and rounded. Tail very short, cuneate, of sixteen strong tapering feathers.

Bill light yellowish-olive, the tips of the unguis lighter. Iris reddish-brown. Feet light blue, the webs greyish-black, the claws whitish. A broad band from the base of the bill to the occiput bluish-black, margined behind with light yellowish-red, before with white, that colour forming a broad triangular spot on the cheek anterior to the eye. Sides of the head, and neck all round, purplish-blue; a spot of white behind the ear, a curved line on the side of the neck, a complete ring of white below the middle of the neck, with a curved band of the same colour anterior to the wing. All these white markings broadly edged with deep black. The fore part of the back light purplish-blue, the hind part gradually deepening in tint, so as to become almost black, of which colour is the rump all round. Scapulars chiefly white; wing-coverts purplish-blue, as are the alula and primary coverts, the quills dark greyish-brown, the tail greyish-black, a small white spot near the flexure of the wing; a band of white across the wing, formed by the tips of the secondaries, of which the inner have their outer webs principally of the same colour. Fore part of the breast purplish-blue, hind part and abdomen greyish-brown, sides light red; a lateral spot of white near the root of the tail.

Length to end of tail 17-1/4 inches, to end of wings 14-1/2, to end of claws 16-1/2; extent of wings 26-1/2; wing from flexure 7-3/4; tail 3-1/2; bill along the back 1-1/12 along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/2; tarsus 1-4/12; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12. Weight 1-1/2 lb.

Male in the second year.

The young male, after the first moult, is greyish-brown on the back and wings, light brownish-grey beneath. The head and neck are of a dull leaden blue, the upper part of the head darker. The white spot before the eye is mottled with grey, the line extending over the eye obscure, and the edging of the occiput faint reddish-brown. The two white marks exist on the sides of the neck, but are merely edged with darker blue; there are slight indications of the white collar, and the band before the wing is marked, but much smaller than in the adult. The quills are dark brown, but the secondaries are not tipped with white, of which there are but slight indications on the scapulars. The upper tail-coverts are blackish, the tail bluish-grey, lighter at the end. The bill is dusky, the feet of a leaden tint.

Male in the third year. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 2.

After the second moult, the male has greatly improved in colouring, although the tints are not nearly so pure as in the old bird. The hind part of the back is still brown, as are the wing-coverts; the sides are dark brownish-grey, with undulated yellowish-red bars. The white collar is not yet complete, but all the white markings on the neck are edged with black; the fore part of the breast is dull grey, the middle yellowish-grey, spotted with bluish-grey. The white bar on the wing is still wanting; the rump is glossy bluish-black, the tail nearly of the same tint.

Adult Female. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 3.

The principal colour of the female is greyish-brown, deeper on the head and rump, lighter on the fore neck, and mottled with greyish-white on the breast. The quills are dark brown edged with lighter, the tail blackish-grey. There is a large whitish spot mottled with grey before the eye, and another of a purer white behind the ear. Bill and feet dull bluish-grey. Iris brown.

Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 13-1/2, to end of claws 15-1/2; extent of wings 24-1/4; wing from flexure 8-1/4; tail 3-1/2; bill along the back 1-10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/2; tarsus 1-1/4; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12 Weight 1-1/4 lb.

THE RED-NECKED GREBE.

PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, LATH.

PLATE CCXCVIII. MALE AND YOUNG.

I have found this species along the coast from New York to Maine, in the winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal number. At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy, and among the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already in their spring plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one occasion our boat was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived in search of food. On emerging they were only a few yards distant; but, although several guns were fired at them, they escaped unhurt, for they instantly dived again, passed under the boat at the depth of about a yard, and did not rise until at a safe distance. None of us could conceive how they had managed to elude us, for as they were so near, the shot threw up the water in its course, and I had expected to find them completely mangled.

Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never observed it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr RICHARDSON states, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that it “is very common in the fur countries, frequenting every lake with grassy borders.” M. TEMMINCK says “that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and the borders of the sea, but in greater number on fresh-waters; are tolerably common in different parts of Europe; feed on small fish, fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and vegetables; form their nests of the same materials, and place it in the same situations as the Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs.” An egg lent me by my esteemed friend Mr YARRELL, measured two inches in length by one inch and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale greenish-white.

PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 783.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 417.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 411.

RED-NECKED GREBE, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 253.

Adult Male. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, straight, rather slender, compressed, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping to the middle, then slightly convex, the ridge convex, the sides sloping, towards the end erect and convex, the edges acute and inflected. Nasal groove extending to the middle of the mandible; nostrils subbasal, linear-elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and straight, the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected, the tip narrow, very acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body depressed. Feet large, placed very far behind; tibia feathered almost to the joint; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteriorly with a narrow scutellate ridge, laterally with very broad scutella, posteriorly with a narrow ridge having a double row of small prominent scales. Hind toe very small, with an inferior small membrane; fore toes long, the outer longest, scutellate above, united at the base by short webs, externally margined with narrowish, internally with broad, lobe-shaped expansions, which are marked with parallel oblique lines, and crenate on the edges. Claws flattened, that of the middle toe broadest, with an extremely thin broad terminal edge.

Plumage of the head and neck very soft and downy, of the breast and sides silky and highly glossed, of the abdomen and rump downy, of the upper parts imbricated, but with loose edges. Wings small; primaries much curved, the first longest, the second almost equal, the inner secondaries extending beyond the first primary when the wing is closed. Tail a small tuft of loose feathers. On the head is a tuft of elongated feathers on each side behind the eye, and those of the posterior part of the cheek are also elongated.

Bill brownish-black, bright yellow at the base. Iris carmine. Tarsi and toes greenish-black externally, yellow on the inner side, the edges of the lobes dusky. Upper part of the head greyish-black, lower part ash-grey, with a white line from the base of the lower mandible to beyond the eye. Hind part of the neck, and upper parts generally, greyish-black; the feathers edged with pale brown; the edge of the wing and the outer secondaries white. The fore part and sides of the neck rich brownish-red; the breast and sides are of a silvery white, faintly marked with grey.

Length to end of rump-feathers 18-3/4 inches, to end of wings 16-1/2, to end of claws 24; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 7-1/4; bill along the back 1-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/8; tarsus 2; outer toe 2-1/2, its claw 1/4. Weight 23 oz.

Young after first moult. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 2.