LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 25 



migratlGn; it follows gradually the retreat of winter, but lingers on 

 the way. Dr. F. Henry Yorke (1899) says: 



The first issue of these birds appears in the interior above the frost line late 

 in the spring, a shore time before the bluewiuged teals arrive ; and with the 

 ruddy ducks are the last of the divers to travel northwai-d. They soon depart to 

 the far north, where they are followed by the second and third issues, which 

 scatter over the country before they also follow the advanced flight. 



Courtship. — Although the bufflehead lingers in some of our ponds 

 until quite late in the spring and during some seasons is fairly com- 

 mon. I have not been particularly successful in studying its courtship 

 on accoimt of its shyness. On bright, warm days during the latter 

 part of April or early in IMay the courtship of this species may be 

 studied with some hope of success, though long and patient watching 

 through powerful glasses may be necessary. The males are quite 

 quarrelsome at this season and fight viciously among themselves for 

 the possession of the females. The male is certainly a handsome 

 creature as he swims in and out among the somber females, his bill 

 pointing upward, his neck extended, and his beautiful head puffed 

 out to twice its natural size and glistening in the sunlight. Standing 

 erect he struts about, as if supported by his feet and tail, with his 

 bill drawn in upon his swelling bosom, a picture of pride and vanity, 

 which is doubtless appreciated b}^ his would-be mate. Suddenly he 

 dives beneath her and on coming up immediately deserts her and 

 flies over to another female to repeat the process. He seems fickle or 

 flirtatious in thus dividing his attentions, but perhaps they have not 

 been graciously' received or he has been rebuffed. Sometimes he be- 

 comes coy and swims away until she shows interest enough to follow 

 him. Eventualh^ he finds the one best suited to him and the conjugal 

 pact is sealed. 



Dr. Charles W. Townsend (191G) describes the courtship of the 

 bufilehead as follows: 



A group of 35 or 40 of these birds, with sexes about equally divided,' may 

 have been actively feeding, swimming together in a compact flock all point- 

 ing the same way. They dive within a few seconds of each other and stay 

 under water 14 to 20 seconds, and repeat the diving at freciuent intervals. 

 Suddenly a male swims vigorously at anothfer with flapping wings, making 

 the water boil, and soon each male is ardently courting. He spreads and 

 cocks his tail, puffs out the feathers of his head and cheeks, extends his 

 bill straight out in front close to the water and every now and then throws 

 it back with a bob in a sort of reversed bow. All the time he swims rapidly, 

 and, whereas in feeding the group were all swimming the same way in an 

 orderly manner, the drakes are now nervously swimming Iiack and forth and 

 in and out through the crowd. Every now and then there is a commotion in 

 the water as one or more drakes dive, with a splashing of water, only to 

 come up again in pursuit or retreat. As the excitement grows a drake flaps 

 his wings frequently and then jumps from the water and flies low with out- 



