678 Mr. C. B. Horsbrugh : Ornithological Notes 



Charitonetta albeola. Buffle-head, 



My notes for April 24 state that these ducks were to be 

 seen in small numbers on all the ponds hereabouts, and in 

 pairs. They feed at this season on a small red worm-like 

 larva (mosquito?), minute stones, and water-weeds. On 

 May 16 I was giving some horses their morning hay, 

 when I suddenly saw a pair of Buffel-heads fly round the 

 barn a few times and the duck dive like an arrow straight 

 into an old decayed poplar-tree. The nesting-site was an 

 ancient Golden-winged Woodpecker's, about eighteen feet 

 above the ground, and with the aid of a thin twig I could 

 feel a large clutch of eggs. On the lake just below the 

 barn I saw a hen bird on June 18, followed by five young 

 ducklings, which I watched for many days. The feet of the 

 ducklings are dark slate, and I should like to know when 

 they assume the striking flesh-coloured tint of the adult. 

 Whilst driving a few miles south of Alix with my wife, on 

 June 21, we almost ran over a duck with five young. She 

 was leading them through the long grass towards water 

 (some considerable distance from the trail) and was a most 

 devoted parent, flying around very close to us until we 

 passed on. These birds are excellent eating, but if wounded 

 are almost impossible to retrieve on account of their diving 

 powers. The local name given them is " Butter-balls." 

 This species seems to be fairly plentiful in this part of the 

 province, but so shy are they in the vicinity of their nesting- 

 sites that the latter are rarely betrayed. I located two 

 other nests, but could not find the exact spots. These birds 

 are reported to nest in holes in the ground if suitable trees 

 are scarce. 



Oidemia deglandi. White-winged Scoter. 



At Haunted Lakes, on May 10, my notes record "many 

 pairs of these ducks.^' Whilst staying at Buffalo Lake in 

 June I saw many hundreds, and they were quite the 

 commonest species. They nest round the lake, inland 

 amongst the bushes, much later than other species. Mr. 

 George Cook informed me that he had found nests in late 

 July. 



