WATER BIRDS. 101 



of neck all round; gray of chest broader and usually deeper, and white collar narrower 

 than in the same sex of dangula." 



Length of male 21 to 23 inches; wing 9 to 9.40; bill from tijj to frontal angle 1.65 to 

 1.80; depth at base .95 to 1.10. 



Female: Wing 8.25 to 8.75; bill from tip to frontal angle 1.40 to 1.70; depth at base 

 .80 to .95. 



50. Bufflehead. Charitonetta albeola (Linn.). (153) 



Synonyms: Butter-ball, Butter Duck, Spirit Duck, Dipper. — Anas albeola, Linn., 

 1758.— Fuligula albeola, Bp., 1828, Nutt., 1834, And., 1838.— Clangula albeola, Steph., 

 1824, and authors generally. — Bucephala albeola, Baird, 1858, and some others. 



Figure 25. 



The small size, general black and white plumage, puffed head of velvet 

 black with purple and green reflections, and pure white cheeks and occiput 

 make the male unmistakable; the female is smaller and browner, lacking 

 entirely the clear or metallic black and snowy white of the male, except 

 that there is a broad white wing-bar. 



Distribution. — North America; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico. 

 Breeds from Maine and Montana northward through the Fur Countries 

 and Alaska. 



This well known and beautiful little duck is an abundant migrant through- 

 out the state, some often remain all winter in favorable places, and it is pos- 

 sible that a few nest within our limits. 

 In 1893 Dr. R. H. Wolcott wrote "Com- 

 mon every winter on the rapids at 

 Grand Rapids, fished for by factory 

 hands along the banks with hook and 

 line." Swales (Birds of S. E. Mich., 

 1904) says "In fall I have seen it as 

 early as September 6, but it is October 

 before the main body arrives. It re- 

 mains until early December if not later. 

 Generally reappears in the latter part of 

 of March, remaining until late April; oc- 

 casional birds remain well into May." 

 Purdy, at Plymouth, says "One of the Fig.25. BuffleiR-ad— Male. 



most common ducks during migration. From Bailey's Handbook of Birds of the West- 

 arriving from April 1 to 15, depending ^^ United states. (Houghton. Mifllin& Co.) 



on weather." Saunders mentions that a few pairs breed at St. Clair 

 Flats (Mcllwraith's Birds of Ontario, 1894, p. 84). 



The species is similar in its habits to the Whistler, being restless, in- 

 quisitive but shy, but so abundant that it is killed in large numbers. In 

 fall and winter it is usually extremely fat, and probably it is this fact which 

 has given it the names Butter-ball and Butter Duck. 



It is never seen in large flocks, and docs not fly in the " wedge formation " 

 used by so many ducks; as Lynds Jones remarks it "flies in bunches, not 

 flocks." Like the Whistler it nests in hollow trees and its eggs are dull 

 light buff, averaging 1.98 by 1.46 inches. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, 



lit male: Head and nc 

 wedgt 



Adult male: Head and neck changeable metallic bluc-grcen-i)uri)Ie except for a large 

 edgc-sliapcil patch of pure wliito on each side of the lieaxl which lias it« apex below the 



