BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 135 



BUFFLE-HEAD {Charitonetta albcola). 



Common or local names: Dipper Duck; Dapper; Dopper; Robin Dipper; Butter 

 Ball; Bumblebee Duck. 



Female. Male. 



Length. — 12.25 to 15 inches. 



Adult Male. — A snow-white patch from back of and below eye over top 

 and back of head to other eye; rest of head and a Httle of neck appar- 

 ently black, crested, and puffed out at sides (at close range showing 

 glossy purple, violet and green); nearly all of neck, flanks and under 

 parts pure white, turning to dusky white on belly, vent and tail coverts; 

 back black; wings largely black, but most of fore wing and shoulders 

 white; tail and upper coverts dark grayish; iris brown; bill dark gray; 

 feet flesh color. 



Adult Female and Young. — Head, neck and upper parts sooty brown; head 

 and wings darkest; usually a patch back of and below eye whitish; 

 wings brown, showing some white when spread; under parts (except 

 throat and upper foreneck) white; bill bluish graj^ tinged with lavender. 



Field Marks. — Size of Teal or smaller. Only the Hooded Merganser has 

 a somewhat similar dark head with a triangular white patch when 

 crest is raised, like male of this species. Female may be known by 

 small size, white patch back of and below eye and white wing patch, 

 when this can be seen. 



Notes. — A single guttural note like a small edition of the Canvas-back's 

 roll (Elliot). A guttural croak (Chapman). A short quack (Wilson). 

 Resembles croak of Golden-eye but feebler (Brewer). 



Season. — Rather uncommon spring and autumn migrant; formerly com- 

 mon, wintering occasionally on the coast; late September to early May. 



Range. — North America. Breeds from the Yukon to central Keewatin and 

 south to Newfoundland, British Columbia, Montana and Ontario; 

 winters from the Aleutian Islands, southern Michigan, western New 

 York and New Brunswick south to northern Lower California, central 

 Mexico and Florida; recorded from Hawaii, Greenland, Newfound- 

 land, Nova Scotia, Bermuda and Great Britain. 



