442 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII. 



are more animal than vegetable feeders, the Pintail is amongst the very 

 best of birds for the table. Sometimes, it is said, it becomes rank, fishy 

 and almost uneatable, but as a rule it is excellent and nearly always good. 



Many others must have noted the peculiarity of the Pintail to 

 which Hume alludes. He writes : " It is worth noting because it is a 

 peculiarity almost confined to this species that during the cold season 

 one continually comes across large flocks consisting entirely of males. 

 I cannot say that I have ever noticed similar ilocks of females ; but 

 this may be because the females do not attract the eye similarly, and aro 

 not equally readily discriminated at a distance, but ' bull picnics ' I 

 have noted times without number, as a specialty of the Pintail." 



They are decidedly good swimmers, sitting light and very high on 

 the water, their long necks and rather raised tails giving them a very 

 o-raceful appearance ; as divers, however, they are failures, they cannot 

 stay any time under water nor can I find any observer giving them 

 credit for being -able to hide under water, amongst the weeds, or of 

 holding on to submerged weeds, etc., with their feet. Getting off the 

 water they are less quick than some ducks, " skittering " along 

 the surface for a few feet ; they rise less abruptly also, but once on 

 the win CI" they sliew to the greatest advantage ; their flight is exceedingly 

 swift, probably faster than that of any other duck, and is very easily 

 recognizable. They fly in very regular formation, changing position 

 less than do most ducks and when close to the hearer the sound of their 

 flio-ht is quite unmistakable. Less noisy and whirring than that of 

 most of their near relations, their flight has a soft swish, swish about it 

 of a very distinctive character. Hume says, speaking of their flight, 

 that it is a " low, soft, hissing swish " and this describes it very exactly. 

 Their voice is like that of the Mallard a distinct quack, but is far 

 softer and also less loud than that of the Mallard, Gadwall or Spot 

 bill ; they are, however, silent birds and one seldom hears them emit 

 any other sound beyond the low colloquial chuckle they sometimes 

 indulo-e in when resting. I have not heard them calling when on the 

 wing, except when about to settle or just after rising or when suddenly 

 frightened by a shot or other cause. 



On the land they walk easily but slowly, as might be expected from 

 their configuration, nor will they often be found resorting to it though 

 Hume records having seen them on the land. 



