THE RUFFEL-HEADS. 25 



the fore-part of the cheeks green, with steel-blue reflections ; 

 the hinder cheeks purplish, with bronzy reflections, and verg- 

 ing into bronzy-green on the sides of the neck ; the hinder neck 

 crested and dull steel-green ; throat dusky-black, with a purplish 

 gloss ; entire under surface of body from the lower throat 

 downwards pure white, the flank-featliers edged with black, 

 the lower abdomen slightly shaded with greyish ; axillaries 

 slaty-grey, the inner ones white; under wing-coverts white, 

 mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; bill bluish-black ; 

 feet and toes pinkish, the webs and joints darker ; iris dark 

 brown. Total length, i5"o inches; culmen, i"3; wing, 67 ; 

 tail, 2-8 ; tarsus, i"2. 



Adult Female. — Different from the male. General colour 

 above sooty-blackish, darker on the lower back and rump; 

 wings sooty-blackish, some of the greater coverts with a white 

 spot before the end of the outer web; quills blackish, the 

 secondaries externally white, forming a speculum ; tail dusky- 

 brown ; fore-part of crown, lores, throat, and neck all round 

 sooty-brown ; the hinder crown and nape blacker, and decidedly 

 crested ; from below the eye a broad, white band extending 

 across the ear-coverts to the sides of the neck ; under-surface 

 of body white, greyish across the fore-neck, on the sides of the 

 body, and on the under tail-coverts ; axillaries sooty-brov/n, 

 or white with brown centres; under wing-coverts white, 

 mottled with brown bases ; bill dusky, inclining to plumbeous 

 at the end, and along the commissure ; feet and toes pale 

 bluish pink, the webs and joints darker; iris dark brown. 

 Total length, i2'o inches; culmen, i-q; wing, 5-9; tail, 2-4; 

 tarsus, i*i. 



Young Birds. — Resemble the old female in plumage. 



Characters. — Apart from the differences in structure recorded 

 above, the male can be easily told by the varying gloss on the 

 head, and the large patch of white on the sides of the face. 

 The female has the head and neck greyish-brown, with a white 

 spot on the ear-coverts and a v/hite wing-speculum. 



Range in Great Britain. — At least five authentic instances of the 

 occurrence of the Buffel-headed Duck have been recorded in 

 Great Britain. Of these two are Scotch and three English. 



