THE BUFFLE-HEAD. 611 



Range in Ohio. — Common migrant, especially along streams. Partially resi- 

 dent in winter, according to openness of season. 



EACH bird species, like each human family, possesses a character wholly 

 its own. "Butter-ball" and "Butter Duck" are expressive of this duck's close- 

 knit, fat appearance, and the name "Spirit Duck" arises from its appearance 

 of floating in the air above the water, since the white breast and sides, below 

 the field of black, cannot be seen, at first glance, above the water. No doubt 

 its expertness in diving, thus dodging the shot, has also given point to this 

 title. But aside from this superficial appearance, the Buffle-head possesses a 

 character of his own. He rides the water daintily, scarcely wetting his toes, 

 or lies on his side with one foot out of water, or plunges down to great depths, 

 with utter disregard of the fact that he is an air-breathing animal. And too, 

 he is always spick and span, never with so much as a dampened feather. How 

 easy to become master of the water if you could go into it without getting in 

 the least wet ! 



Buffle-head takes the world easy. He does nobody harm, and assumes 

 that he will be treated equally well. Flocks on the Oberlin water-works 

 reservoir never think of being disturbed by the curious spectators on the bank. 

 One can almost believe that they were raised there. 



The glossy, purplish-black, fluffy head with its mark of pure white reach- 

 ing from eye to eye around the back of the head, makes a pleasant as well as 

 a conspicuous contrast. The females are content with a white spot behind 

 the eye. Females usually accompany the flocks of early males, and males 

 the flocks of late females, but I have seen flocks composed wholly of one sex. 

 In flight the birds form a bunch rather than a flock. 



The spring migrations cover the last week in March and almost the whole 

 of April. The birds return in October, and some may remain all winter in 

 favorable winters or in favorable localities. While there seem to be con- 

 siderable numbers of these birds, they never swarm anywhere. The flocks 

 are usually not large, but the birds keep close together. 



Buffle-head nests north of Ohio, but Dr. F. W. Langdon has found 

 individuals in summer in Ottawa County, and it is reported as breeding spar- 

 ingly on the St. Clair Flats. The nest is in a hollow tree or stump, and the 

 mother bird plucks her own breast for the lining. The eggs range up to twelve 

 in number, and do not differ in color from other duck eggs. It does not 

 seem to be settled whether the old bird carries the young to the water, or 

 whether she drops them to the ground and then guides them there. 



Lynds Jones. 



