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The animal on the cover of Programming Visual Basic 2008 is a bufflehead duck (Bucephala albeola). The name bufflehead derives from the words “buffalo” and “head,” referring to the bulbous head shape distinctive to this species. Male buffleheads are black and white with a large white patch extending from the eye to the back of the head; females are paler, smaller, and have a small white cheek patch. Both sexes are characterized by short necks and narrow gray bills.

Ranging in size from 13 to 16 inches and 9 to 22 ounces, buffleheads are the smallest diving ducks in North America. Unlike other diving ducks, they are able to take flight directly from the water without having to run along the surface. They live by lakes, rivers, and bays in Canada and the northen U.S., migrating to coastal water on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts as far south as Mazatlan in the winter months. They nest in aspen and poplar cavities excavated by northern flickers and pileated woodpeckers.

The bufflehead diet consists of fresh- and saltwater insects, snails, crustaceans, and plants. They dive for their food and swallow it underwater. Bufflehead ducks tend to stay in a group, one or two of them feeding while the others stand watch for any potential danger. Although not prized among duck hunters, buffleheads are hunted for sport in the U.S. and Canada and comprise approximately two percent of North American waterfowl hunting. Their status is not currently threatened, but habitat degradation is an increasing concern. Because the ducks return to the same breeding ground each year, overharvesting and deforestation could have a devastating impact on their population if not carefully monitored.

The cover image is from Johnson’s Natural History. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSansMonoCondensed.