216 BONAPARTIAN GÜLL.
Young in Dewmber. l'lato OCCXXIV. Fig. 3.
Hill greyish blac.k, iris dark brown ; feet flesh-coloured, claws dusky..
Head and nci'k greyish-white-; a small Maek patch about ail inch behind
the eye on each side.ijfjfpper paits dull bluish-grey, many of the
wing-coverts greyish brown, edged with paler; quills :i.s inthe adult;
rump and tail white,-the l"UW with a broad band of black at the end,
the tips narrowly edged with whitish.
Length B^iSd Jjltail 13f, to end of wing? 15f, to end of claws 13;
extent of wings 32,j inches. • Weight 6 oz.
Theiwhite spots on the tips of the wings vary greatly in size, and
arc frequently obliterated when the feathers become worn.
Palatiiwith live serios of small distant papilla*. Tongue I inch l i
twelfths long, slender, "'tapering to a.-slit 'poiut, imiarg-imite and par
pillate at the base, horny towards the end. Aperture of posterior
liar.'s linear, 9 twelfths long. Heart 1 inch long, •!) twelfths -broad.
High! lobe of' liver 1 inch 11 twelfths long, the offer lobe 1 inch 7
twelfths.
The oesophagi!» is (!,} inches long, very wide with rather thin pariotus,
its average diameter when dilated 10 twelfths, within the
ihorax«jLlarged to 1 inch 2 twelfths. The transverse, muscular fibres
arc distinct,,the internal longitudinal less so; the mucous coat longitudinally
plicate. The provcntrieulus is j inch long, ^miipgjiiumerous
small glandules^ Tile, stomach is,a small oblong gizzard, 10
twelfths long, 8 twelfths broad ; its lateral muscles rather large, as are
its tending- The inner coat or epithelium.is^nf modemt.e thickness,
dense, with nine longitudinal broad rugae, and of a brownish-red colour.
The intestine is 21 j inches long, its diameter 2 twelfths. The rectum
is: 1J inch Jong, The etraa arc 2 twelfths long, 1 twelfth in diameter,
cylindrical and obtuse.
"_ .The intestine of another individual, a male, is 20 J inches long, 3
twelfths: in diameter.
The trachea is 3 inches 10 twelfths long, its diameter at the top
3 twelfths, at tho lower part 2J twelfths, the rings very feeble, unossified,
about 130 iri number- The stcrno-trache«,!. musclcs arc veryslender,
as are the contractors; pjd the® is a pair of inferior laryngeals.
The bronchi are of moderate length, with about 1H h.alf rings.
BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK.
FVUGUJ.A Al.JIEOl.A, UoNAP.
PLATE CCCXXV. MAIE AKD FEMAI.II.
THKHK are no, portions of the Union on the waters of which this
beautiful miniature of the Golden-e^e Duck is not to be found, either
during the autumnal months..«r in winters and, therefore, to point out
any particular district as more or 4®* favoured by its transient visits
WsfiJ be useless. The miller's dam is ornamented by its presence ;
the secluded crocks of the Middle States areiequally favoured by it as
the stagnant bayous anil lakes of Lower Louisiana; inthe Carolina* and
on the Ohio, it,is not less frequent; it being known in these different
districts by the names of Spirit Duck, Butter-box, Marrionette, Dipper,
and Die-dipper. It generally returns from the far north, where
it is said to breed, about the beginning of September, and many reach
the neighbourhood of New Orleans byt>the middle of October, at which
period I have also observed the» in the Florida». Their departure
.from then different portions of our country varies from the beginning
of March to the end of May. On the llth of that month in 1833,1
shot some of .them..near. Kastport in Maine, , None of them have, 1 .
believe, been found breeding within the limits of the. Union. During
the period:of their movements: towards tiffi: north, I found them exceedingly
abundant on the waters of MsiBay of Fundy« the males in
flocks, and in full dross, preceding the females about, a fortnight, as is
the case with many other birds.
The Marrionette—and I think the name a pretty one^is a very
hardy bird, for it remains at times during extremely cold weather on
the Ohio, when it is thickly« covered with floating ice, among which it
is seen diving almost constantly in search of food. When the river is
frozen over, they seek the head waters of the rapid. stieams, in the turbulcnt
eddies of whiiMthcy find abundance of food. Possessed of a
feeling of security arising from the rapidity with which they can dive,
they often allow you to go quite near them, though they will then
watch every motion, and at the snap of your gun, or on its being discharged,
disappear with the swiftness of thought, and perhaps as quick