lg2 DUCK SHOOTING. 



The head of the female lacks the extreme puffiness of 

 the male's. She is generally a dark lead color, or slaty, 

 very much paler below, has a white patch on the side of 

 the head behind and below the eye, and a white wing 

 patch formed by the outer webs of the secondaries. The 

 bill is dark lead color and the feet and legs grayish-blue. 



The male buffle-head is one of the most beautiful and 

 active of North American ducks and is also one of the 

 most abundant, especially along the sea-coast. It is 

 confined to North America and is scattered over most of 

 the continent, from the extreme North to Mexico. It is 

 said not to be common in Alaska, but sometimes to oc- 

 cur on the Aleutian Islands, and Dr. Stejneger found it 

 in winter also about the Commander Islands, on the 

 Asiatic side of the Pacific. The buffle-head breeds 

 throughout much of British America, nesting in hol- 

 lows in trees, and its nests have been found on the 

 Yukon River, as well as in many other localities in the 

 North. Mr. Boardman believes that it breeds near 

 Calais, Me., and young birds, still unable to fly, are said 

 to have been killed at Pewaukee Lake, in Wisconsin. 



The butter-ball is an extremely restless and busy 

 bird, and in the dull times of the duck shooting, when 

 the weather is still and no birds are flying, it is very 

 likely to dart over the gunner's decoys and startle him 

 by its unexpected presence. However, the butter-ball 

 is so small, and also so swift of flight, and so expert in 

 diving, that not very many of them are killed. They 

 are by no means shy and often come readily to the de- 

 coys, among which they alight, feed, and after swim- 



