232 ANAS ALBEOLA. 



The female has nothing- of all this. The intestines 

 measure five feet in length, and are large and thick. 



I have examined many individuals of this species, of 

 both sexes and in various stages of colour, and can 

 therefore affirm, with certainty, that the foregoing 

 descriptions are correct. Europeans have differed greatly 

 in their accounts of this, from finding males in the s;tni i 

 garb as the females, and other full plumaged males 

 dotitute of the spot of white on the cheek ; but all these 

 individuals bear such evident marks of belonging to one 

 peculiar species, that no judicious naturalist, with all 

 these varieties before him, can long hesitate to pronounce 

 them the same. 



280. ANAS ALBEOLA, UWJEVS AND WILSOX. 



BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 

 WILSON, PLATE LXVII. FIG. II. MALE FIG. III. FEMALE. 



THIS pretty little species, usually known by the name 

 of the butter-box, or butter-ball, is common to the sea 

 shores, rivers, and lakes of the United States, in every 

 quarter of the country, during autumn and winter. 

 About the middle of April, or early in May, they retire 

 to the north to breed. They are dexterous divers, and 

 fly with extraordinary velocity. So early as the latter 

 part of February the males are observed to have violent 

 disputes for the females ; at this time they are more 

 commonly seen in flocks, but, during the preceding part 

 of winter, they usually fly in pairs. Their note is a 

 short quak. They feed much on shell fish, shrimps, &c. 

 They are sometimes exceedingly fat, though thrir flesh 

 is inferior to many others for the table. The male 

 exceeds the female in size, and greatly in beauty of 

 plumage. 



The buffel-headed duck, or rather, as it has originally 

 been, the buffalo-headed duck, from the disproportionate 

 size of its head, is fourteen inches long, and turnty- 

 three inches in extent; the bill is short, and of a light 



