155 



THE BUFFLE=HEAD. 



{Charitonetta albeola.) 



This small and wonderfully beautiful 

 duck is a native of North America, win- 

 tering in the latitude of Cuba and Mexico 

 and breeding from Maine to Montana 

 and northward. It is said that a favorite 

 place for its nesting is along the banks of 

 the Yukon river, and other streams of 

 the boreal regions, yet it is reported that 

 the young have been captured in the Adi- 

 rondack mountains. Though classed with 

 the "sea ducks" (Fuligulinae) it is one of 

 the most common of our fresh-water 

 forms, and, like many other animals, as 

 well as vegetable forms, of wide distribu- 

 tion, it is the recipient of numerous popu- 

 lar names, nearly all of them being more 

 or less suggestive of its characteristics or 

 habits. In the North it is frequently 

 called the Butter-ball, the Butter-box, the 

 Butter duck, the Spirit duck and the Dip- 

 per. In the South some of the same 

 names are heard, but perhaps more often 

 the Marionette, the Scotch dipper, or 

 duck, the Scotch teal and the Wool-head. 

 However, no more appropriate name 

 could be selected than that of Buffle- 

 head, having reference to the showy, ruf- 

 fled or pufifed plumage of the head. The 

 technical name, albeola, meaning whit- 

 ish, was given this species by Linnaeus 

 in 1758, on account of the pure white on 

 the side of the head. 



The adult males vary but little. The 

 plumage of the head is puffy and, with 

 that of the upper half of the neck, is a 

 "rich silky, metallic green, violet purple 

 and greenish bronze, the last prevailing 

 on the lower part of the neck, the green 

 on the anterior part of the head, the pur- 



ple on the cheeks and crown." A beau- 

 tiful pure white patch extends from the 

 eyes, meeting on the top of the head. The 

 lower portion of the neck and nearly all 

 the feathers of the under side of the body, 

 as well as the wing coverts, are also 

 showy white. The lining of the wings is 

 dark, and the upper side of the body is 

 black. 



The head of the female is less pufify 

 and of a brownish or dark gray color. 

 The white head patch is not sO' prominent 

 or pure and the plumage of the under 

 side of the body is more or less tinged 

 with gray. In both sexes the iris is dark 

 brown, the bill bluish or lead color, and 

 the legs and feet pinkish. 



There are few birds that are more ex- 

 pert in diving or swimming, while on land, 

 owing to their larger feet and shorter 

 legs, they are more awkward and waddle 

 more than many of the ordinary ducks. 

 Their graceful attitude while floating on 

 the water, moving apparently without any 

 motion of the body and scarcely causing 

 a ripple on even a placid surface, has 

 given them the name Spirit duck. 



The Buf^e-head, like nearly all the 

 sea ducks, feeds on mollusks and other 

 animal-forms found in the water. As a 

 result, their flesh is usually coarse and 

 quite too rank for use as a food. The 

 canvas-back is a notable exception, for 

 during the winter months it feeds on the 

 wild celery (Vallisneria) of the Middle 

 Atlantic coast, and thus its flesh receives 

 the flavor so appreciated- by those who 

 relish o-ame food. 



