24 BULLETIN 130, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



(Fort Rae and Providence). Breeds abundantly in Iceland and 

 in Greenland up to 69° or 70° N. 



Winter range. — From the Gulf of St. Lawrence southward along 

 the coast regularly to eastern Maine (Washington County), rarely 

 to southern New England and as a straggler beyond. On the Pacific 

 coast from southern Alaska (Wrangell and Portage Bay) to central 

 California (San Francisco Bay). Rarely and irregularly in the in- 

 terior, south to southern Colorado (La Plata River), and north to 

 southern British Columbia (Okanogan Lake) and northern Mon- 

 tana (Great Falls). 



Spnng migration. — Dates of arrival : Quebec City, April 14 to 16 ; 

 Mackenzie, Fort Anderson, June 14. Late dates : Ontario, Toronto, 

 April 18, 1885; North Carolina, near Asheville, May 6, 1893. 



Fall migration. — Dates of arrival: Quebec, Montreal, October 

 23; Connecticut, East Haven, November 14; Massachusetts, Ware- 

 ham, November 27; District of Columbia, November 22, 1889; Wis- 

 consin, Lake Koslikonong, November 14, 1896. 



Casual records. — All records east of the Rocky Mountain region 

 and south of New England must be regarded as casual. Most of 

 these records are based on females, incorrectly identified. The rec- 

 ords given above, under migrations, are believed to be authentic, as 

 are also the following : Michigan, Ottawa County, 1907, and Detroit 

 River, April 1, 1905. 



Egg dates. — Iceland : Fourteen records. May 19 to June 30 ; seven 

 records, June 2 to 17. British Columbia: Five records. May 12 to 

 31. Alberta : Two records. May 28 and 30. 



CHARITONETTA ALBEOLA (Linnaeus) 

 BUFFLEHEAD 



HABITS 



The propriety of applying the name " spirit duck " to this sprightly 

 little duck will be appreciated by anyone who has watched it in its 

 natural surroundings, floating buoyantly, like a beautiful apparition, 

 on the smooth surface of some pond or quiet stream, with its striking 

 contrast of black and white in its body plumage and Avith the glisten- 

 ing metallic tints in its soft fluffy head, relieved by a broad splash of 

 the purest white ; it seems indeed a spirit of the waters, as it plunges, 

 quickly beneath the surface and bursts out again in full flight, dis- 

 appearing in the distance with a blur of whirring wings. 



Spring. — Although a hardy species and generally regarded as a 

 cold-weather bird, the bufflehead is rather slow in making its spring 



