51 
BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 
JIjYAS JILBEOLA. 
[Plate LXVIL — Fig. 2, Male. — Fig. 3, FeinaleJ] 
Le Canard d‘‘hyver^ Briss. VI, p. 349 ; La sarcelle de la Loumane^ Id. p. 461, pi. 41,^^. 1 ; 
Lasarcelle de la Caroline^ Id. p. 464. — Le petit Canard a grosse tite^ Buff. IX, p. 249 ; La 
sarcelle blanche et noire^ Id. p. 284 ; La sarcelle de la Caroline., Id. p. 286. PI. Enl. 948. — 
Little Black and White Duck., Edwards, II, pi. 100. — Buffers head Duck^ Catesby, I, 
95; Little Brown Duck., Id. 98, female. — Arct, Zool. Ab. 4S7, 489. — Lath. Syn. Ill, p. 
533. — Ind. Orn. p, 866, No. 86. — Gmel. Syst, I, p. 517, No. 18; A. bucephala. Id. p. 
521, Ab. 21 ; A. rustica., Id. p. 524, No. 24. — Peale’s Museum^ No, 2730 ; female^ 2731, 
THIS pretty little species, usually known by the name of the 
Biiiter-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 extraordinary velocity. So early as the latter part of Fe- 
bruary 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 quak. 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 Biiffaloe-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 pearl color, which changes to leaden af- 
ter death ; the plumage of the head, and half of the neck, is thick, 
long and velvetty, projecting greatly over the lower part of the 
neck — this plumage on the forehead and nape is rich glossy green, 
