Species XXIII. ANAS ALBEOLA. 



BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 



[Plate IXVII. Fig. 2, Male ; Fig. 3, Female.] 



La Sarcelle de la Louisiane, Briss. vi., p. 461, pi. 41, fig. 1. — Le petit Canard a 

 (jrosse iSte, Buff, ix., p. 249. — Bdw. pi. 100. — Arct. Zool. No. 487. — Catesby, i., 

 95. — Lath. Syn. in., p. 533.* 



This pretty little species, usually known by the name of the Butter- 

 box, or Butter-ball, is common to the seashores, rivers and lakes of the 

 United States, in every quarter of the country, during autumn and 

 winter. About the middle of April, or early in May, they retire to 

 the north to breed. They are dexterous divers, and fly with extraor- 

 dinary velocity. So early as the latter part of February the males 

 are observed to have violent disputes for the females ; at this time 

 they are more commonly seen in flocks ; but during the preceding part 

 of winter they usually fly in pairs. Their note is a short quack. They 

 feed much on shell fish, shrimps, &c. They are sometimes exceedingly 

 fat ; though their flesh is inferior to many others for the table. The 

 male exceeds the female in size, and greatly in beauty of plumage. 



The Buffel-headed Duck, or rather as it has originally been, the 

 Buffaloe-headed Duck, from the disproportionate size of its head, is 

 fourteen inches long, and twenty-three inches in extent ; the bill is 

 short, and of a light blue or leaden color ; the plumage of the head and 

 half of the neck is thick, long and velvety, projecting greatly over the 

 lower part of the neck ; this plumage on the forehead and nape is rich 

 glossy green, changing into a shining purple on the crown and sides of 

 the neck ; from the eyes backward passes a broad band of pure white ; 

 iris of the eye dark ; back, wings and part of the scapulars black ; rest 

 of the scapulars, lateral band along the wing, and whole breast, snowy 

 white ; belly, vent, and tail-coverts, dusky white ; tail pointed, and of a 

 hoary color. 



The female is considerably less than the male, and entirely destitute 

 of the tumid plumage of the head ; the head, neck, and upper parts of 

 the body, and wings, are sooty black, darkest on the crown ; side of the 

 head marked with a small oblong spot of white; bill dusky ; lower part 

 of the neck ash, tipped with white ; belly dull white ; vent cinereous ; 



* Le Canard d'hyver, Briss. vi., p. 349 ; La Sarcelle de la Caroline, Id. p. 464. 



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