364 
BUFFEL-HEADfiD DUCK. 
neck; from the eyes backward passes a broad band of pure 
white; iris of the eye dark; back, wings and part of the scapu- 
lars 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 colour. 
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, tipt with white; 
belly dull white; vent cinereous; outer edges of six of the secon- 
daries and their incumbent coverts white, except the tips of 
the latter, which are black; legs and feet a livid blue; tail hoary 
brown; length of the intestines three feet six inches; stomach 
filled with small shell fish. This is the Spirit Duck of Pennant, 
.so called from its dexterity in diving (Arct. Zool. No. 487.), 
likewise the Little Brown Duck of Catesby (Nat. Hist. Car. 
pi. 98.). 
This species is said to come into Hudson’s Bay about Severn 
river in June, and make their nests in trees in the woods near 
ponds."* The young males during the first year are almost ex- 
actly like the females in colour. 
* Latham 
