562 DAFILA ACUTA, PINTAIL, 



1872, 183 (Utnh).— Aiken, Pr. Post. Soc. xv, 1872, 210 (Colorado).— Trippe, 

 ibid. 241 (Iowa).— Stev., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1870, 466 (Wyoming).— Mekr., 

 ibid. 1872, 703 (Wyoming).— Coues, Key, 1872, 286, fig. 186.— Snow, B. Kans. 



1873, 11 ; and of authors generally." 

 Querqncdula acuta, Seijjy, Brit. Orn. ii, 311. 

 Anas ahmdica, Sparrmann, Mus. Carls, iii, pi. 60. 

 Afias sparrmamvi. Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790. 876. 



Anas caudacuta, Pall., Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, 280.— Leach, Cat. M. & B. Br. Mus. 1816, 38. 

 Dafila caudacuta, Steph., Sliaw's Geu. Zool. xii, 1824, 127, pi. 49. — Jard., Br. Birds, iv, 



120.— Eyt., Mon. Anaiida-, 1838, 113. 

 Daphila caudacuta, Sw., Classif. B. ii, 1837, 367. 

 Anas {Dafila) caudacuta, Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 441. 

 Qucrrjucd'ula caudacuta, Macgill., Man. Oru. ii, 1842, 170. 



AiHis lonrjicanda, Briss., Orn. vi, 366, pi. 34, f. 1, 2.— Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 868. 

 Anas caudata, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 869. 

 Dafila acuta var. awericana, Bp., Coiupt. Rend, xlii, 1856. 



Hab. — North America and Europe. Breeds chiefly in high latitudes. In winter 

 south to Panama. Cuba. 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 8910, "Nebraska." 



Later Expeditions. — 61109, Rock Creek, Wyoming. 62366, Shoshone Lake, Wyoming. 



Not obtained by Captain Raynolds' Expedition. 



The Pintail is emphatically a "river" Duck, being far more abundant 

 on the pools and streams of the interior than along either coast. It is 

 one of the earlier arrivals in the United States, passing our northern 

 boundary early in September, with the Teal, and becoming generally 

 distributed during the lollowing month. It is one of the most elegant 

 and graceful of our Ducks, either on the land or water, walking and 

 swiming with the long pointed tail elevated, and the thin sinuous neck 

 swaying in all directions. It is shy and vigilant, but owing to its habit 

 of clustering close in groups about the margins of pools where the reeds 

 or brush-wood favor approach, it is sometimes slaughtered in numbers 

 with ease ; and if the gununer be ready with another barrel, additional 

 birds may usually be procured, as they tly off in a compact flock. 



Few Ducks exceed the Pintail in extent and regularity of migration. 

 In the spring it withdraws altogether from most parts of the United 

 States to high latitudes to breed, and in winter pushes its migration 

 even to Panama. While its general habits when with us are well 

 known, little has been ascertained respecting its breeding in this 

 ^country ; and I have therefore greater pleasure in being able to attest 

 its nesting within our limits. Although I have not recognized it in the 

 Missouri region proper during the breeding season, yet 1 found it to be 

 one of the commonest of the various ducks that nest in the country 

 drained by the Milk Eiver and its tributaries, throughout most of the 

 northern i:)arts of Montana. In traveling through that country in July, 

 I found it on all the prairie pools aud alkaline lakes. At this date the 

 young were just beginning to fly, in most instances, while the old birds 

 were lor the most part deprived of flight by moulting of the quills. 

 Many of the former were killed with sticks, or captured by hand, and 

 afforded welcome variation of our hard fare. On invasion of the grassy 

 or reedy pools where the ducks were, they generally crawled shyly out 

 upon the prairie around, and there squatted to hide ; so that we pro- 

 cured more from the dry grass surrounding than in the pools them- 

 selves. I have sometimes stumbled thus u])on several together, crouch- 

 ing as close as possible, and caught them all in my hands. 



The following note from Mr. Dall continues this subject: "Extremely 

 cou)mon in all parts of the Yukon, and on the marshes near the sea 

 coast. In the early spring, arriving about May 1 at Nulato, it is grega- 

 rious; but as soon as it commences to breed, about May 20, or later, 

 they are generally found solitary or in pairs. Their nest is usually 



