6io THE BUFFLE-HEAD. 



General Range. Northern North America; south in winter to New York, 

 Illinois 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. 



"It 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. 



A. O. U. No. 153. Charitonetta albeola (Linn.). 



Synonyms. BUTTER-BALL ; SPIRIT 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 

 p-umage, 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 i.io (27.9); 

 tarsus 1.31 (33.3). Female smaller. 



Recognition Marks. Teal size; plumage extensively white; head black, 

 with large sharply denned 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. 



