;» 



M. 



:f I 



114 



SEA DUCKS. 



A more ncrthem species than the preceding, wliich it resembles in 

 habits. 



163. Charitonetta tdheola,iLinn.). Bi'fpleiiead; Bctter-ball; 



SpiuiT Dlck. Ad. 6 . — A broud whito bund i»ii»«e« uround the back of the 

 liead frotn eye to eye ; rest of the lieiul, upper neck, and t)iroat beautifully 

 (j;lossed witli i)urj)le, f^reenish, and bluish ; lower neek all around, breast, belly, 

 wing-eoverts, speeuluiu, and outer seapulars white; baek black; upper tail- 

 eoverts and tail asliy-^rayish. Ad. 9 . — A white patoh on either side of the 

 head, throat, and entire upper parts fuscous-brown; speculum, breast, and 

 belly white. L., U'Tf) ; W., G-SO ; Tar., 1-25 ; B., 1-05. 



A'rt//f/(,'. — Nortii America; breeds from Iowa and Maine northward; win- 

 ters from near the southern limit of its breeding range to the West Indies and 

 Mexico. 



Washington, common W. V., Sept. to Apl. Long Island, common T. V. 

 and W. v., (Jet. 1 to Apl. Sing Sing, tolerably common T. V. Cambridge, 

 common in Oct. and Nov. 



AV«<, in a stump or hollow tree. £(jfffi, si.x to twelve, dull light butt", 

 1-98 X 1-4G (liidgw.j. 



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. Clan^ula hyemalis ( Linn.). Olp Sqi-aw ; Old Wife ; South 

 Southerly. Ad. $ in winter. — Sides of the front of the head waslied with 

 grayish brown ; sides of the hack of the head and sides of the npy>er neck 

 black, more or less margined with oohraceous; rest of the head, neck all 

 around, upper back, scapulars, and lower belly white; hack, breast, and 

 upper belly white ; tail pointed, the middle feathers very long and narrow ; 

 band across the end of the bill yellowish orange. Ad. $ in summer. — Sides 

 of the front of the head white ; crest of the liead, neck, throat, breast, and 

 upper belly black ; back and scapulars black, the latter margined with dark 

 huffy ochraccous; lower belly white; tail and bill as in the preceding. 9 in 

 icinter. — Upper parts black or fuscous; scapulars and upper back more or 

 less margined with grayish or grayish brown ; sides of the head and neek 

 and sometimes the back of the neck white or whitish ; breast grayish; belly 

 white ; tail pointed, but without tho long feathers of the male ; under wing- 

 coverts dark. Ad. 9 in summer. — Generally similar to the above, but the 

 sides of the head and throat mostly blackish, and the feathers of the upper 

 parts more or less margined with ochraceous. L., 3 , 21-00, 9 , 16-00 ; W., 8-60 ; 

 T., ,J,8-00, 9,2-.'50; B., 1-05. 



Rftnarh. — The male Old Squaw is too distinct to bo 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. 



