﻿212 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  ward 
  and 
  upward 
  from 
  the 
  eye, 
  broadening 
  and 
  meeting 
  its 
  fellow 
  on 
  the 
  

   occiput; 
  lower 
  neck 
  all 
  around, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  scapulars, 
  wing 
  coverts 
  and 
  

   secondaries, 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  in 
  general 
  white; 
  upper 
  parts 
  mostly 
  black 
  

   fading 
  to 
  grayish 
  white 
  on 
  upper 
  tail 
  coverts. 
  Female: 
  Head, 
  neck 
  and 
  

   upper 
  parts 
  grayish 
  brown; 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  ear 
  coverts 
  and 
  patch 
  in 
  the 
  secon- 
  

   daries 
  white; 
  under 
  parts 
  white 
  tinged 
  with 
  grayish 
  on 
  breast, 
  sides 
  and 
  

   abdomen. 
  

  

  Length 
  14-15 
  inches; 
  extent 
  23-25; 
  wing 
  6.5-7; 
  ^i^^ 
  i~i-i5'. 
  tarsus 
  

   1. 
  2-1. 
  25; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  2.2-2.25. 
  Female 
  2 
  inches 
  shorter 
  and 
  

   other 
  dimensions 
  correspondingly 
  less. 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  The 
  small 
  size, 
  fluffy 
  head, 
  large 
  white 
  head 
  patch, 
  and 
  

   strikingly 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  plumage 
  of 
  the 
  drakes 
  attract 
  attention 
  at 
  once. 
  

   The 
  male 
  Hooded 
  merganser 
  has 
  a 
  large 
  triangular 
  white 
  patch 
  on 
  the 
  head 
  

   which 
  bears 
  a 
  general 
  resemblance 
  to 
  this 
  species, 
  but 
  the 
  lower 
  neck 
  is 
  not 
  

   white 
  all 
  around, 
  and 
  the 
  bill 
  is 
  slim 
  instead 
  of 
  short 
  and 
  stubby 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   present 
  species. 
  The 
  female 
  Butterball 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  duck 
  of 
  insignificant 
  

   appearance, 
  rather 
  chunky 
  in 
  build, 
  but 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  the 
  

   female 
  Ruddy 
  duck 
  and 
  others 
  by 
  the 
  small 
  white 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   head 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  patch 
  in 
  the 
  secondaries. 
  Her 
  head 
  is 
  also 
  somewhat 
  

   puffy 
  and 
  the 
  bill 
  short. 
  

  

  The 
  Buffle-head, 
  Butterball, 
  Spirit 
  duck, 
  Diedapper, 
  and 
  Dipper, 
  as 
  

   this 
  bird 
  is 
  called, 
  is 
  a 
  fairly 
  common 
  transient 
  visitant 
  throughout 
  the 
  

   State, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  is 
  likewise 
  found 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter. 
  

   It 
  is 
  common 
  during 
  spring 
  and 
  fall 
  on 
  the 
  Hudson 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  rivers, 
  

   lakes 
  and 
  ponds 
  of 
  western 
  New 
  York, 
  being 
  more 
  generally 
  distributed 
  on 
  

   small 
  bodies 
  of 
  water 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  of 
  our 
  bay 
  ducks, 
  especially 
  in 
  spring, 
  

   when 
  it 
  is 
  often 
  seen 
  on 
  mill 
  ponds, 
  canals 
  and 
  creeks. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  noticeable 
  

   migratory 
  movement 
  early 
  in 
  April 
  and 
  the 
  last 
  birds 
  have 
  usually 
  left 
  

   the 
  State 
  for 
  their 
  northern 
  breeding 
  grounds 
  by 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  May. 
  They 
  

   return 
  again 
  in 
  October 
  and 
  those 
  which 
  go 
  farther 
  south 
  have 
  usually 
  left 
  

   us 
  by 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  November. 
  

  

  This 
  sprightly 
  little 
  duck 
  is 
  an 
  expert 
  diver, 
  as 
  several 
  of 
  its 
  names 
  

   would 
  signify, 
  and, 
  like 
  the 
  grebes 
  and 
  loons, 
  was 
  formerly 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  

   capable 
  of 
  dodging 
  a 
  gunshot. 
  When 
  wounded 
  and 
  pursued 
  it 
  will 
  propel 
  

   itself 
  long 
  distances 
  under 
  water 
  using 
  both 
  wings 
  and 
  feet, 
  and, 
  when 
  it 
  

  

  