DAFILA ACUTA, PINTAIL. 561 



b, fulvigula. 



Anas obscura vat. fulvigula, RiDGW., Am. Nat. viii, 1874, p. — . — CouES, Check -list, App. 

 p.—. 



i7a&.— Easteru North America, especially along the Atlantic coast, from Labrador to 

 Texas. Iowa and Kansas. Cuba. Var.^?/7i'i<7MZa, re&ideufc in Florida. 



The Dusky Duck is peculiar auioug; our species for its partial distri- 

 bution, beiug confined to the Eastern Province. It was not noticed by 

 either of the Expeditions, and probably only reaches the border of 

 the Missouri region. Its occurrence in Iowa and Kansas is sufficiently 

 attested. I never saw it, to my knowledge, in Dakota. In 1800 I found 

 it abundant in Labrador, where it was breeding, in pools back of the 

 coast, though occasionally seen also on the islands where the Eiders 

 were nesting. It moults there in July, when the young aie able to take 

 care of themselves, and is for a time unable to fly owing to loss of the 

 quills. It also breeds plentifully in New England, especially in Maine, 

 being there, as in Labrador, one of the most abundant and character- 

 istic Ducks during the summer. I have traced it along the Atlantic 

 coast as far as the Carolinas •, it is found still further, in Florida and 

 Texas, as well as, according to Cabanis, in Cuba; and, during the winter, 

 is one of the common market ducks of our Atlantic cities. The north- 

 ward migration appears to be incomplete, many individuals nesting on 

 our Southern coasts; Audubon states that it breeds in Texas "and 

 throughout the United States." The eggs, of which eight or ten are 

 laid, are not distinguishable from those of the Mallard, being pale, dirty 

 yellowish-drab, averaging about 2^ inches in length by 1^ in breadth. 

 The nest is quite compactly and carelully built of weeds and grass, with 

 a slight hollow lined with the parent's feathers. 



DAFILA ACUTA, (Linn.) 

 Pintail; Sprigtail. 



Anas acuta, LiNX., Syst. Nat. i, 1700, -iOS.— Gii., Syst. Nat. 1788, 258.— L.vtii., Ind. Oru. 

 ii, 1790, 8(J4.— Temm., Man. 1815, 540.— Boie, Isis, 1822, 5G4.— Light., Vorz. 

 1823, 84.— Less., Man. ii, 1828, 417.— Flem., Br. An. 124.— Bueh.v, Y. D. 1o31, 

 866.— Wagl., Isis, 1831, 531.— .Jen., Man. 232.— Temm., Man. ii, 1835, 838; iv, " 

 1840, 532.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Ear. 85.— Naum., V. D. xi, 1842, 638, pi. 301.— 

 Degl., Orn. Eur. ii. 1849, 428.— Sciii.., Rev. Crit. Ois. Eur. 115: M. P.-B. 1865, 

 37.— Seeys-L., Fn. Belg. i, 1842, 142.— \Vii.s., Am. Orn. viii, 1814, pi. (]8, i. 3.— 

 Bp., Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 258; Svn. 1828, 363; List, 1838, 56.— NuiT., Man. ii, 

 1834, 386.— AuD., Orn. Bio<r. iii, 1835, 214; v, 1839, 615; pi. 227; Syn. 1839, 

 279; B. A. vi, 1843, 266, pi. 3'JO.— ViG., Zool. Beechey's Voy. 1839, 3l.-Gn!., B. 

 L. I. 1844, 310.-DeKay,N. Y. Zool. ii, 1844, 341.— Lemb., Av. Cub. 1850, 113.— 

 FiNSCH, Abh. Nat. iii, 1872, 66.— Sw., P. Z. S. 1863, 324. 



Trachelonetta acuta, Kaip, Natur. Syst. 1829, 115. 



riiamnnurus anituH, Wagl., Isis, 1832, 1235. 



Uajila acuta, Bi'., List, 1-38, .56.— Gkay, List. B. Br. Mus. 1844, 134; G. of B. iii, 1849, 

 (;i5; List Br. B. 1863, 192.— Gos.se, B. .Jam. 1847, 402.— Reich., Syst. Av. 

 ]85-.^, X.— Cass, Orn. U. S. Expl. Exped. 1858, 431.— Bd.. Stanbury's Rep. 1852, 

 323.— WooDli., Sitfjr. Rep. 1853, 103 (New Mexico aud California). —Newu., P; 

 R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 102 (California and Oregon).— Cau., J. f. O. v, 1857, 229 

 (Cuba).— Bd., B. N. A. 1858,776.— Scl., I bi.s, i, 1859,231 (Honduras).— Heekm., 

 P. R. R. Rip. X, 1859, pt.vi,69(Califoruia).— Mri;.. Edinb.N. I'hil. .lourn. 1.S59,. 

 229.— Cooi'. & Si:cK., N. U. Wash. Ter. 18(10, 252 (Oic-ron and Washin-rton).— 

 Newt., P. Z. S. 1861, jilate (58 (hybrid with Mallard).— IIavd., llv\). 1--62, 175 

 (Nebraska).— Ross, Canad. Nat. Apr. 1862. — Ji:ui)., B. India, 1864, 803.— 

 GiNDi.., Av. Cub. If(i6, 388.— CorEs, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 9H (Arizona).— 

 Lawi{., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 163 (Panama) : ix, 18()9, 14 (Costa Kica).— 

 Dkess., Ibis, 18i;2, 42 (Texas).— CoiES, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 298.— Veiju., Pc. 

 Ess. Inst, iii, 1862, 158.— Dai.i. & Bank., Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 1869, 297 (Alaska, 

 breeding).— DiCGL.-GKlU3E, Orn. Eur. 1867, 515. — Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 



36 



