BAY AND SEA DUCKS 205 



brown; speculum, breast and belly white. L., 14'75; W., 6*50; Tar., 1'25 

 B., 1-05. 



Range. N. A. Breeds from the upper Yukon (rarely Yukon mouth), 

 the lower Mackenzie, Great Slave Lake, and cen. Keewatin s. to B. C., n. 

 Mont., and cen. Ont.; winters from the Aleutian Islands, B. C., Idaho, 

 Colo., Mo., s. Mich., w. N. Y., and N. B. s. to n. L. Calif., cen. 

 Mex. (Jalisco), and Fla.; recorded from Hawaii, Greenland, N. F., N. S., 

 Bermuda, and Great Britain. 



Washington, common W. V., Sept.-Apl. Long Island, rather common 

 W. V., Dec. 8- Apl. 6. Ossining, tolerably common T. V. Cambridge, T. 

 V. in autumn (W. V.?), Oct, 30-Nov. 15. N. Ohio, common, T. V., Mch. 

 25-May 1; Oct. 15-Nov. 30. Glen Ellyn, rare in April. SE. Minn., common 

 T. V., Apl. 3. 



Nest, in a stump or hollow tree. Eggs, 6-12, dull light buff, T98 x 1*46 

 (Ridgw.). Date, Fort Simpson, Mack., May 25. 



This small Duck has won deserved distinction through its powers 

 as a diver. Like the Grebes, it "dives at the flash," though this well- 

 worn expression has lost half its meaning since flintlocks and percus- 

 sion caps have become things of the past. The Bufflehead feeds to 

 some extent on small fish, which it pursues and catches under water. 



154. Harelda hy emails (Linn.). OLD SQUAW. Ad. & in winter. 

 Sides of front of head washed with grayish brown ; sides of back of head and 

 sides of upper neck black, more or less margined with ochraceous; rest of 

 head, neck all around, upper back, scapulars, and lower belly white; back, 

 breast, and upper belly black; tail pointed, middle feathers very long and 

 narrow; band across end of bill yellowish orange. Ad. <? in summer. Sides 

 of the front of head white; rest of head, neck, throat, breast and upper belly 

 black; back and scapulars black, the latter margined with dark buffy ochra- 

 ceous; lower belly white; tail and bill as in preceding. 9 in winter. Upper- 

 parts black or fuscous; scapulars and upper back more or less margined 

 with grayish or grayish brown; sides of head and neck and sometimes back 

 of neck white or whitish; breast grayish; belly white; tail pointed, but with- 

 out long feathers of male; under wing-coverts dark. Ad. 9 in summer. 

 Generally similar to above, but sides of head and throat mostly blackish, 

 and feathers of upperparts more or less margined with ochraceous. L., d% 

 21-00, 9, 16-00; W., 8'60; T., d% 8'00, 9, 2'50; B., 1'05. 



Remarks. The male Old Squaw is too distinct to be confused with any 

 other species, its long tail-feathers being its most striking character; the 

 female bears some resemblance to the female of the Harlequin Duck, but 

 has the belly pure white instead of grayish dusky. 



Range. N. Hemisphere. In N. A. breeds from islands of Bering Sea, 

 Arctic coast of Alaska, Melville Island, Wellington Channel, Grinnell 

 Land, and n. Greenland s. to Aleutian Islands, e. cen. Mackenzie, n. Hudson 

 Bay, and se. Ungava; winters from the Aleutian Islands s. regularly to 

 Wash, rarely to San Diego Bay, Calif., and in s. Greenland, and from Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence s. regularly to the Great Lakes and N. C., and rarely to 

 Colo., Tex., La., and Fla. 



Washington, rare W. V., Oct. 20-Apl. 20. Long Island, abundant 

 W. V., Oct. 15-May 1. Ossining, tolerably common W. V., Dec. 4- Apl. 

 6. Cambridge, rather common in Oct. and Nov. N. Ohio, irregular W. V., 

 Nov. 1-Apl. 16. 



Nest, on the ground near water, under low bushes or tall grasses. Eggs, 

 6-12, pale bluish tinged with olive, 2'05 x 1*49. Date, Disco Bay, Green- 

 land, June 15. 



In The Auk for 1892, pp. 330-337, George H. Mackay gives a capital 

 account of the habits of this species in our waters. He speaks of them 



