ee THE BUFFLE-HEAD. 
General Range.—Northern North America; south in winter to New York, 
{llinois and Utah; breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward and south in 
the Rocky Mountains to Colorado; Greenland; Iceland; accidental in Europe. 
Range in Ohio.—Rare winter visitor. 
THIS perpetuated accident of variation does not differ materially in 
habit from the commoner species, except that it does not often venture so far 
south. It is a bird of handsome appearance, and if one is so fortunate as to 
observe it at close range, while it is seated upon the water, he gets the impres- 
sion of a viking ship with regal prow uplifted. 
“Tt is reported from Sandusky Bay by Professor E,. L. Moseley, and has 
been taken twice in Lorain County, once by Mr. L. M. McCormick, and once 
by the writer, on the Oberlin water-works reservoir. It should be found in 
the winter on the waters of the northern part of the state” ( Jones). 
No. 300. 
] BUFFLE-HEAD. 
oe O. U. No. 153. Charitonetta albeola (Linn.). 
Synonyms.—Bvu‘TER-BALL; SPirrr DUCK. 
Description.—Adult male: Feathers of head puffy, somewhat lengthened 
along crest and nape; head and upper neck black, sooty below, with brilliant 
violet, purple, steel-blue, and bronze-green metallic reflections; a broad white 
space from eye to eye around occiput; back, inner scapulars and tertiaries with 
touches on coverts and some narrow bordering on the outer scapulars and up- 
turned side-feathers glossy black; upper tail-coverts and tail ashy gray ; remaining 
plumage, including a broad collar around neck, white; belly silky or washed with 
pale gray; bill dull bluish with dusky nail and base; feet flesh color, with black 
claws; iris brown. Adult female: Head and neck mouse-brown, darker on crown, 
lighter on throat; a dull white patch below and behind eye; speculum narrowly 
white; reminiscences of white coverts of male in shape of two or three central 
spots on greater coverts; remaining plumage above, grayish dusky, below silky 
white, shading on sides and hind-neck. Length 14.00-15.25 (355.6-387.4) ; av. 
of six Columbus males: wing 6.67 (169.4); tail 2.93 (74.4); bill 1.10 (27.9) ; 
tarsus I.31 (33.3). Female smaller. 
Recognition Marks.—Teal size; plumage extensively white; head black, 
with large sharply defined patch of white from eye to eye behind. Similar spot 
much reduced, distinctive for female. Expert diver. 
Nesting.—Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, in hollow of tree or stump, 
lined with grasses, feathers, etc. Eggs, 6-14, pale olive gray, creamy, or buffy 
white. Av. size, 1.98 x 1.46 (50.3 x 37.1). 
General Range.—North America; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico. 
Breeds from Maine and Montana northward, through the Fur Countries and 
Alaska. 
