590 



Adult Female (Missouri, 30th May). Head, neck, and upper parts generally blackish brown; a large white 

 patch on each side of the head; scapulars, wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts marked with grey; 

 wings blackish brown, the short secondaries externally white, forming a white band across the wing; 

 tail dark brown with a greyish tinge ; underparts white, the flanks tinged with ashy grey. 



The Buffel-headed Duck (or Dipper, as the New-Brunswick shore-gunners used to call it) is a 

 Nearctic species only very rarely occurring within the limits of the Palsearctic Region. Yarrell 

 cited two instances of its occurrence in Great Britain : — one that of a male shot near Yarmouth 

 in the winter of 1830, formerly in the collection of Mr. Miller, but now in that of Mr. Rising, of 

 Horsey ; and one of a specimen in the Margate Museum, said to have been obtained in Orkney : 

 but this latter specimen proved subsequently to have been obtained from America by Mr. Dunn. 

 One was obtained at West Mud, near Devonport, in the winter of 1841, and is now in the 

 collection of the Rev. W. Hore, of Barnstaple, where Mr. Harting examined it in September 

 1870. In the British Museum there is a specimen labelled "Norfolk;" but there is nothing to 

 show that it is really a British example. Mr. Cordeaux states (B. of Humber Distr. p. 176) that 

 " a mature male was shot in the winter of 1864-65 on the Bessingby beck, close to the town of 

 Bridlington, by Richard Morris," and was in the possession of Mr. Machin, whence it has passed 

 into the collection of Mr. J. Whitaker ; and Mr. Robert Gray writes (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 396) 

 that Mr. Angus showed him a fine male which was shot on the Loch of Loriston, Aberdeenshire, in 

 January 1865, and a few days later Mr. Edwards, of Banff, showed him a specimen, also a male, 

 which had been shot many years previously in the Loch of Strathbeg, and placed in the Banff 

 Museum by the late Mr. Smith, minister of Monquhitter. So far as I can ascertain, it has never 

 occurred elsewhere in Europe than in the British Isles. In America it is found throughout British 

 North America and the United States as far south as Mexico ; and it has been once recorded 

 from Greenland by Professor Reinhardt, who says that in about the year 1830 an adult female was 

 obtained at Godthaab. In the Hudson' s-Bay Territory it is said to be common ; and I have seen it 

 numerous during the winter season on the coasts of New Brunswick. Dr. T. M. Brewer, writing 

 to me respecting its occurrence in the United States, says: — "This species is found throughout 

 North America, from Greenland on the north-east to Alaska on the west, and in winter extends 

 its range to the most southern States, the West Indies, and to both coasts of Mexico. It is an 

 Arctic resident during the breeding-season, but few ever remaining to breed within the limits of 

 the United States, and then only in the northern districts. In the valley of the Mackenzie it is 

 very abundant to the mouth of that river, and is found everywhere, on all the rivers and lakes, 

 in the interior of the continent. Mr. Dall found it not uncommon at the mouth of the Yukon 

 river, in Alaska, and believes that it breeds there, though there are no trees but scrubby willows 

 and alders. Mr. Bischoff obtained it at Sitka ; and in California it remains from October until 

 the last of April, and is very abundant, occurring from 49° N. lat. to San Diego, frequenting 

 both salt and fresh water, and becoming so very fat as to be known as the ' Butter-ball.' It 

 feeds more readily in deep water than most Ducks ; and its food consists almost invariably of 

 small fish, and its flesh has therefore almost always a strong fishy flavour. Dr. Gundlach 

 informs me that this Duck is a regular winter visitant to Cuba." To this I may add that 

 Wedderburn records it as occurring in Bermuda; and when at Matarnoras, in Mexico, I was 



