PINTAIL. 75 



pai'ts, white; dor.sal line of iiuck, Ijhick, passing into the gray of tlie back, 

 which, like the sides, is venniciilated with black ; speculum, greenish-purple 

 anteriorly bordered by buff tips of the greater coverts, elsewhere by black and 

 white; tertials and scapulai-s, black and silvery. Female and yoniKj: — With the 

 whole head and neck speckled or finely streaked with dark brown, an<l grayish 

 or yellowish-bi-own ; below, dusky freckled ; above blackish, all the feathers 

 pale-edged ; only a tnvce of the speculum between the white or wliitish tips of 

 the greatei- coverts and secondaries. 



Hab. — Northern hemisphei'e. In North America breeds from the northern 

 parts of the United States northward, and migrates south to Panama and Cuba. 



Nest, on the ground, in a })unch of tall grass near the water. 



Eggs, eight to twelve, dull grayish-olive. 



This is another very handsome member of the duck family which 

 is common in Southern Ontario in spring and fall. According to Mr. 

 Sauiiders, a few spend the summer and raise their young on St. Clair 

 Flats. 



The Pintail is (|uite common throughout the North-West. Dr. 

 Bell mentions it liaving been found breeding near Norway House, 

 and Mr. Nelson says : " It is one of the most common, if not the 

 most common, of the ducks which breed along the Alaskan shore of 

 Behring Sea. It is al)()ut the first of the water-fowl to commence 

 nesting. The date when the first eggs are laid varies from May 18th 

 to 25th, according to the season. The nest, which is placed in a 

 tussock of grass, is lined with grass, stems and feathers, and is pretty 

 well concealed. The eggs are rather small for the size of the bird, 

 and are pale olive green when fresh. When the young are hatched 

 the parents lead them to the adjacent pool, and they keep in the most 

 secluded parts of the marsh until able to take wing. In the fall the 

 Pintails feed upon the various berries growing on the hill-side till they 

 become extremely fat, and a young bird at this season is the most 

 delicious of the water-fowl found in the north. Toward the end of 

 August they unite in tlocks of from five to fifty, and the end of 

 September finds l)ut few remaining of the large numbers seen a few 

 weeks previous." 



