BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 375 



This bird is also referred to by Mr. Paget, in his Sketch of 

 the Natural History of Yarmouth and its vicinity, page 11. 

 From a recent conversation with the Rev. Richard Lubbock, 

 who is well acquainted with the extensive waters near Yar- 

 mouth visited by numerous birds, I have reason to believe 

 that other examples of the Buffel-headed Duck have been 

 seen in winter in that country, but the bird is very shy, and 

 from its power of diving very difficult to get at. The boat- 

 shooters there, or some of them at least, call this bird the 

 true Morillon ; they are well acquainted with the Golden 

 Eye, or Rattle-wings, as they call it, in every state of its 

 plumage, and therefore, very properly, consider their Morillon 

 (this Buffel-headed Duck) as distinct from the Golden Eye. 



In the autumn of 1841 Mr. Mummery, the curator of 

 the Museum of Natural History at Margate, sent me word 

 that during a visit to Orkney, from which he had then but 

 recently returned, he had obtained a Buffel-headed Duck 

 there, which was intended for the Margate Museum. 



This species is well known to the naturalists of North 

 America, and to their histories we must refer for an account 

 of its habits. Mr. Audubon says " that during autumn and 

 winter it is to be seen in almost every part of the Union, 

 frequenting the sea-shore, rivers, and lakes. It feeds on 

 shell-fish, shrimps, and marine plants, particularly the 

 species of laver called Ulva lactuca, and the bird being 

 generally very fat, one of its common names is Butter- 

 box ; it is also called Spirit Duck, and Conjuror, from the 

 facility with which it escapes by diving suddenly at the 

 flash of a gun, or the twang of a bowstring. The Buffel- 

 headed Duck is a very hardy bird, for it remains during 

 extremely cold weather on the Ohio, when it is thickly 

 covered with floating ice, among which it is seen diving 

 almost constantly in search of food. When the river is 



