8o4 



THE BUFFLEHEAD. 



Brackish pduls ami tide channels, tide flats and tossing billows, all arc alike to 

 these ha])py and liardy little souls. Perhaps the greatest niunhcr, ho\ve\er, 

 are fuund iiptui the l)a\s and shallnwer waters of Puget Sound. Thev as.sociate 

 chiefly in little tlocksof from half a dozen to fift\' indi\iduals and thc\' \cnlure 

 inshore, as often as the\- dare, tn feed on the rising tide. When thc\- reach us 

 in October they are fat as Ijutter (whence, of com-se, "liutterball" ). but they 

 have gained their flesh on the cleaner feeding gmunds nf the northern interior. 

 On a fare of fish and marine wornis, which they ol)taiu in salt water almost 

 entircK b\' (hving, their llesli soou becomes rank and unprofitable. 



Naturally confiding and easily approachable in the fall, the Buiflehead 

 soon acc|uires powder-e.xperience, and gradually becomes the most difficult of 

 all birds to kill. He will not only give the hunter a wide berlh. Init he will dive 

 at the flash of a gun. He is clad, morecn'er. in a magic coat of niail. and his 

 phnnage apf'cars to shed liuUets as readil}' a.s it does water. .\o hunter but 

 feels that the bird is a little uncanu}-. and he has his little collection of stories 

 to back up his belief, b'or instance, from the \antage of a I'ixer bank and at 

 close range. I once shot a drake Butterball se\cn times with "4's" — hit around 

 him e\'ery time too. but did not learn the fla\or of liis flesh. .Another cut down 

 in midair with _''s fell limp as any ])igeon. but recei\ed magic restoration from 

 the water, arose upon the instant and flew away as tbo nothing had happened. 

 And then, to cap the climax, if not killed outi-ight at the first shot, tlie bird will 

 commit suicide b\- drowning. ( )n tide flats, with never a ghost of a chance at 

 concealment, we ha\e seen bird.^ di\e and remain below, self-entangled in the 

 eel-grass, until death by drowning was certain. This fact is well established, 

 not only in the case of Buffleheads. but in that of many other ducks; and car- 

 casse> ha\e been found in the eel-grass at low fide in ba\s which are much shot 

 over. 



Photo by II cirburtoii Pihe. 



