HISTRIOHICTJ5 XOHQTTATITS .
HISTRIONICUS TORQUATUS.
Harlequin Duck.
Anas histrionica et A. minuta, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 204.
Clangula histrionica, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 564.
Harelda histrionica, Keys, und Bias. Wirbelth. Eur., p. 87.
Fulignhi histrionica, Bonap. Syn., p. 394, no. 345.
Cosmonessa histrionica, Kaup, Natürl. Syst., p. 40.
Phlyaconetta histrionica, Brandt, Mém. de l’Acad. Imp. Sci. de St. Pétwr»b., 1849.
Histrimicus torquatus, Bonap. Compt. Rend, des Séances de l’Acad. St i.. tom. xliii. séances des 15 et 22 Sept. 1850:
Anas (HareldaJ histrionica, Schrenck, Vog. des A mur- Landes, p. 483.
This fantastically marked Duck is a notiH- the mmbvt i fNMla ->i both hemwpfeeres, excepting continental
Europe : at the same time it t® sowirwfesrt re*»rtt:l.ed in in winter it fveqweuts shoal bays and
inlets o f the sea, and on the uipi-? of tiptôsg remrt» to i : ; id waters and the »mw* turbulent m
and torrents, for tfee purpose of mdilktMtOD. In its awMfïw« it w atooet as twwhr to the Sa»w
as it is to the t&ekbwM?ye, and, so far as we yet know. Is tlx- cmty fpemfepr <4 its genua. Prom its sij»h»*t
quarters «tragglers, which are generally females or young msfes, wsnîWr ht winter into muse southern latitudes,
vfeît Vancouver Island and the north-western portion of the American continent, the wuth-eastern
coasts o f the United States, and occasionally reach the Baltic countries and Britain. Respecting its occurrence
in our islands, much confusion exists, owing to the mistakes made by even oar best ornithologists in regarding
immature examples o f other species, such as the Long-tailed Duck (Harelda glaciatis), as female or youthful
specimens o f the Harlequin Duck. I fear, therefore, that much that has been written has to be discarded,
and little added in 'favour of its having a place in our avifauna ; such a claim, however, feeble as it may be,
it certainly possesses.
Mr. J. H. Gurney, Jun., with an amount of pains-taking which does him the utmost credit, has lately furnished
me with a list o f the reported occurrences o f this bird in our islands, accompanied by some rery
judicious remarks.
The result of his investigation tends to prove that the Harfequiu Dock fe*s <m»t been ftwMl our
islands in two instances,— the first o f which was recorded fey Monta»;-« in kit* weU " - uroithological
dictionary, published in 1802, on the authority of Mr. James Sowwfey, ■<; «hoar coii*-: ? <■* a the
rarer British birds he bad an opportunity of examining both sexe« killed in rm the *
Lord Seaforth ; the other, a male, was shot by Major W. Ross King, off Buchan,, act «In «watf ^Wedcet*-
sfejre “ I fear» from Major King,” say# Mr. Gttraey, Jun., ** that it was ofetaüiwl lift*# «pawsd
dav* istorsï from the north-east, that it was »wtflHaing a short distance only frwa >*-•
its way back U* it* own country. It proved m he in very tmr pfetaage. ho* m pure
skinned it, ami bad it stuffed ; Wt i$ùri«g h » fompwary- «fern«*?.*- it. wwa, v* **** iv injured fey
damp and moths that it had to W Cferws»» -away.”
Mr. Frederick Bond inform» ate that lie well rwo8te?«w three *w ta Leadenbsf;
Market, many years ago, during a very severe wrirtev i
Mr. Bond’s intimate acquaintance with ornithology , I hm*. éeaifc tfet \w*H
species.
“ I am inclined to believe,” says Professor Newton, »» ‘-'ftm Ibis ’ few liÜfib ” «feat a good deal o f wmc ow *
ception exists as to the geographical range o f tins species, which 1 tfenk « t® tit iMAa to be much m u e
limited than is usually supposed to be the case. I am pretty sure rbatf •■■■ ■ 1 >>pe. with the exception ;H
Iceland, and Western Asia it only occurs as an accidental straggler. A* fw as Mr. Wolh-y :■ expeexmn-
goes, it is not known as a bird o f Lapland, including in the term the north of Norway or Fferwwfe -, xud
I can hardly understand its being, as Temminck states, “ abondant dans les contrées orientale» de î'üaeapr
without its occasionally appearing in the district so assiduously worked by my friend ; for I pw*«*w cm*
be no doubt that Temminck did not intend to refer to any but the northern part o f eastern Ewope fe more
southern Scandinavia it is certainly rare. I cannot find that it is known in European Rn*»h* : b.« « r » -u
MM* accidentally on the Caspian and Sea o f Aral. It is also said to be met with a boo* Lithe HaNtal . »»et,
if tfcc be true, I think this must be taken, according to our present knowledge, m M iMMMl Wean
limit m -W# Mr in the course o f Dr. Middendorff’s travels it appears to have been fc
east of Siberia I# probably also occurs in Japan.”