102 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



sound of the wings made while flying. I have heard the par- 

 ents utter a low-pitched quack to call their young. 



152. Clangula islandica (Gmel.). Barrow's Golden-eye; 



Icelandic Whistler. 



Plumage of adult male : head and throat glossy purplish blue ; white loral 

 patch irregular, about five-angled and measxiring about an inch along the 

 part in contact with the bill ; speculum crossed by dark bar ; otherwise much 

 as in the preceding species. Plumage of females and immatxure : color of 

 head usually deep sepia ; forehead rising rather more sharply in this species 

 than in the preceding ; nostril in middle of bill ; otherwise much as in pre- 

 ceding species. Wing 9.00 to 9.50 in male, and 8.30 to 8.65 in female ; bill 

 from tip to extrfemity of frontal angle about 1.70 in male and 1.50 in female ; 

 tarsus about 1.55 in male and 1.40 in female. 



Geog. Dist. — Northern North America, south in winter rarely to New 

 York, Illinois, Utah and Virginia ; breeds from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and 

 Colorado northward and also in Greenland and Iceland. 



County Records. — Hancock ; rare winter resident, occurring chiefly in 

 January and February, (Knight). Knox; winter, (Norton). Washington; 

 common in winter, (Boardman). 



This northern species occurs in Maine only along the coast 

 in the very height of winter and seems to be more often found 

 in especially cold winters than it does in milder ones. Wash- 

 ington County seems near the limit of its common occurrence, 

 only comparatively small numbers straggling to Knox County. 

 They occur usually in flocks associated with the preceding 

 species, and a few can usually be found in such flocks on the 

 lower Penobscot River, at Marsh Bay, in midwinter. The nest 

 and eggs are reported by the authorities to be similar to those 

 of the American Golden-eye, and the food seems to be the same 

 as that of this species along the coast. 



/ 



Genus CHARITONETTA Stejneger. 



153. Charitonetta alheola (Linn.). Buffle-head; Butter- 

 ball; Spirit Duck; Hell Diver; Devil Diver. 



Plumage of adult male : band around head from eye to eye ; lower neck, 

 breast, belly, speculum and outer scapulars white ; rest of head and neck 

 glossed with purple, green and bluish; tail and upper coverts ashy gray; 



