54 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 



GENUS SPATULA. 



142. Spatula Clypeata (Linn.). SHOVELLER : SPOONBILL. 



Bill long, much widened toward end ; the long-, fine comb-like teeth 

 conspicuous along- side of closed bill. Adult male : head and neck black, 

 glossed on sides and back with green ; wing coverts light blue with a white 

 bar ; scapulars streaked with blue, white, and black ; speculum green ; 

 chest white, belly chestnut ; bill black, feet orange. Adult female : plum- 

 age mainly spotted and streaked with dusky and brown ; wing as in the 

 male, but duller. Young: in general like adult female. Length: 17-21, 

 wing 9-10, bill 2.60-2.90, width of bill at base .60, near end 1.10-1.20. 



Distribution. Northern hemisphere, breeding in North America from 

 Texas to Hudson Bay and Alaska. 



Nest. On ground in dry grass or under bushes, made of grass or 

 weeds, lined with feathers. Eggs : 9 to 14, olive greenish to buffy. 



The shoveller is especially common over the plains and valleys of 

 the western part of the continent, breeding from Texas to northern 

 Alaska in the open country where there are shallow ponds and 

 sloughs. They are usually found in pairs or small flocks, sitting on 

 the bank or puddling in the shallow water close to shore, skimming 

 flies and larvae from the surface with their spoon-like bills, or with 

 head and neck under water, sifting seeds, mollusks, and crustaceans 

 from the muddy bottom. They rarely become fat, and while fairly 

 good eating are astonishingly thin and light for their apparent size. 



VERNON BAILEY. 



GENUS DAFILA. 



143. Dafila acuta (Linn.). PINTAIL. 



A large duck, with long neck and long, sharp tail of 16 feathers ; head 

 not crested. Adult male : sides of head snuff brown, with a purple gloss ; 



Fig. 70. 



crown darker, back of neck blackish, a white stripe down side of neck ; 

 throat and under parts white ; sides and upper parts gray crossed by wavy 

 lines ; wing slaty, with purple speculum bordered above by a line of buff, 

 and below by white ; tertials with broad stripes of velvety black and 

 white ; under tail coverts black. Adult female : gray, with head and neck 

 finely specked, and under parts, including under surface of wing, finely 

 mottled with dusky ; back and wings more heavily mottled with black, 

 brown, and buffy ; wing without speculum, but greater coverts tipped 

 with white. Male: length 26-30, wing 10.25-11.20, bill 1.85-2.15, tail 

 7.25-9.50. Female: smaller, length 21.00-23.50, wing 9.60-10.10, bill 

 1.80, tail 4.50-5.00. 



