404 THE GAME BIEDS AND WILD FOWL 



Genus CHARITONETTA, or Buffel = headed Ducks. 



Type, CHAEITONETTA ALBEOLA. 



Charitonetta, of Stejneger (1885). -Although perhaps the majority of 

 ornithologists include the Buffel-Head with the Golden-eyes, under the generic 

 term of Clangula, there can be no doubt that this species is quite as worthy of 

 generic distinction as certain other members of the present subfamily. Among 

 the more important characters of this genus pointed out by Stejneger as dis- 

 tinctive from Clangula, may be mentioned the nostrils, which are situated in the 

 anterior portion of the posterior half of the bill instead of the reverse ; they are 

 also rather narrow and the tubercle is visible. The outer toe without the claw 

 is decidedly longer than the middle one ; and lastly the tail is rather long, more 

 than twice the length of the metatarsus. 



But one species of Buffel-headed Duck is known. It is an abnormal migrant 

 to the British Islands, and its distribution, habits, and general characteristics 

 will be fully described in the following chapter. 



