88 HISTORY OF THE 



Charitonetta albeola (Lijsx.). 



BUFFLE-HEAD. 

 PLATE VII. 



Migratory; irregular; at times quite common. Arrive the 

 last of February to first of April; return late in the fall. 

 B. 595. E. 621. C. 727. G. 298. 40. U. 153. 



Habitat. North America, north to the Arctic coast; south 

 in winter to Mexico and Cuba. 



Sp. Chak. ''Adult male: Head and upper half of the neck rich, silky, 

 metallic green, violet purple and greenish bronze, the last prevailing on the lower 

 part of the neck, the green on the anterior part of the head, the purple on the 

 cheeks and crown; a large patch of pure vs^hite on the side of the head, extend- 

 ing from the eye back to and around the occiput; lower half of the neck, lower 

 parts generally, wing coverts, secondaries and outer scapulars pure white, the 

 latter narrowly, and the feathers of tiie flanks more widely, edged with black; pos- 

 terior parts of the body beneath tinged with pale ash gray; upper tail coverts 

 light hoary gray; tail slate gray, the shafts black. Bill bluish plumbeous, dusky 

 on the nail and at its base; iris very dark brown; legs and feet pinkish or lilaceous 

 white. Adult female: Head, neck, and upper parts generally, dusky grayish 

 brown; an oblong or somewhat ovate white longitudinal patch on the auricular 

 region, and the inner secondaries (sometimes also the greater wing coverts, ex- 

 cept the ends) white; lower parts white, tinged with brownish gray posteriorly, 

 anteriorly and laterally. Bill dusky, inclining to plumbeous at the end and 

 along the commissure; iris very dark brown; legs aud toes dilute lilac pink, the 

 webs and joints darker. 



"There is very little variation among the males of this species. Tiie females 

 vary in the markings of the wing, some having the greater coverts white, tipped 

 with dusky, while in others only the inner secondaries are white." 



stretch of 

 Length. wing. IVing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 15.15 24.25 6.75 3.25 1.30 1.12 



Female... 14.25 23.00 6.50 3.20 1.25 1.08 



This little diving Duck has been found breeding at Pewaukee 

 Lake, Wisconsin, Calais, Maine, Manitoba, and north to Yukon 

 River, Alaska. I have found the birds rather more common 

 than the Golden-eye; their general distribution and habits are 

 the same. 



Tiieir nests are phiced in holes and trougli-like cavities in 

 trees, and lined with feathers and down. Eggs usually nine or 

 ten, 1.98x1.40; pale grayish buff; in form, oval to ovate. Dr. 

 Cones, in his "Birds of the Northwest," gives a description of a 

 set of fourteen eggs, taken from a feathery nest in a dead pop- 

 lar, some distance from the ground. 



