DUCKS 



129 



for sporting purposes, for food, or for orna- 

 ment. 



Though Pintails hrecd in the northerly parts 

 of the continent, they also do so in our north- 

 western States. They are hardy and early, arriv- 

 ing in spring often before all the ice is out of the 

 lakes. In northern Manitoba I have seen young 

 on [une 25 that were fully fledged except that 

 the primaries were nut (juite long enough for 

 flight. The eggs must have been laid in late 

 March or April when conditions there are de- 

 cidedly wintry. The nest is usually in dry grass 

 or in a clump of weeds. Small dry islands are 

 favorite locations. Otherwise it seems to be 

 placed quite regardless of proximity to water. 

 Frequently I have foimd it far back on the dry 

 prairie, probably a mile from the nearest slough. 

 It is perhaps more flimsily built than with most 

 other Ducks, and often has rather less down 

 than the average. The number of eggs in a 

 clutch has seemed to me, in my experience, to 

 run slightly less than with other species, seven or 

 eight being most common, and seldom over 

 nine or ten. 



In migration it is not at all common in eastern 

 waters, but in the Mississippi valley and west it 

 is probably next to the Mallard in abundance. 

 It prefers shallow ponds and marshy areas where 

 grass and sedge grow from the water. In the 

 sloughs where it breeds, tlie mated pairs swim- 



ming about make a beautiful sight, lu'cn in 

 autumn when the male has lost for the time his 

 distinctive plumage, the birds are quite distinct, 

 owing to their slender forms and long necks, and 

 their movements always have the air of grace and 

 good breeding. In fact the Pintail is one of my 

 special favorites. Though I prefer it alive, I 

 must admit that it is very fine on the table, and 

 that I had just as soon eat it as any other 13uck. 

 (_)n one of my winter jaunts in Louisiana, the 

 hunters of the party provided many a Pintail, 

 and it was considered that one Duck at a meal 

 for each man was just the right amount. 



By November the Pintails are abundant on the 

 marshes of Louisiana where, in some localities, 

 they winter by thousands. In the winter of 1915 

 I found it the general testimony that this species 

 had increased wonderfully in abundance during 

 the last few seasons, which result was attributed 

 directly to the stopping of spring shooting — that 

 outrage against reason and conservation, now 

 made an olTense by Federal Law and by our 

 International Treaty. They were fond of grain, 

 and, on putting this out, various Ducks, but 

 chiefly Pintails, would assemble in large numbers 

 to feast upon it, becoming so bold that I was 

 able to film and to photograph large numbers of 

 them from blinds, and even from the windows 

 of our cabin on the marsh. 



Hekbekt K. Joii. 



WOOD DUCK 



Aix sponsa 



A. O. U. Number 144 



Other Names. — Summer Duck; The Bride; Bridal 

 Duck; Wood Widgeon; Acorn Duck; Tree Duck. 



General Description. — Length, 20 inches. Males are 

 green, blue, and purple above with white streaks, and 

 red, yellow, and wliite below. Females are brown above, 

 and yellowish-brown and whitish below. Both sexes 

 have long, full crests ; the bill narrow, higher at base 

 than wide; the tail long with soft, broad feathers. 



Color, — Adult Male: Head, including crest, irides- 

 cent green and purple; a narrow white line from bill 

 over eye to rear of crest ; another commencing behind 

 eye and running to nape ; a broad white patch on throat 

 forking behind, one streak curving upward behind eye, 

 the other curving on side of neck ; above, lustrous 

 violet and bronzy green ; shoulders and long inner 

 secondaries, velvet-black glossed with purple and green ; 

 a greenish-blue speculum bounded by white tips of 

 secondaries behind ; primaries, white-edged and frosted 

 on webs near end ; upper tail-coverts and tail, deep 

 dusky black; sides and front of lowrr iicck and breast, 

 rich purplish-chestnut evenly marked with small l- 

 shaped white spots: a large black crescent in front of 

 wing preceded by a white one ; sides, yellowish-gray 



( Liu)icrus) 



See Color Plate 14 



waved with fine black bars; rest of under parts, white; 

 lengthened flank feathers falling in a tuft of rich 

 purplish-red below wing; bill, white in center, black on 

 ridge, tip, and below, with a square patch at base of 

 lake-red ; feet, yellowish-orange ; iris and lids, crimson. 

 Adult Fem.^le: Crest small; head and neck, grayish- 

 brown, darker on crown ; feathers at base of bill nar- 

 rowly all around, chin, upper throat, and a broad circle 

 around eye running into a streak behind, pure ^t'hite; 

 upper parts, brown with some gloss ; fore-neck and 

 sides of body, yellowish-brown streaked with darker; 

 breast spotted indistinctly with brown; abdomen, wlute; 

 bill, grayish with a white spot in center, reddish at base; 

 feet, dusky yellow ; iris, brownish red. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: In a hollow tree from 20 

 to 40 feet from ground, lined with feathers and down. 

 Egcs: 8 to 14. creamy-wliite. 



Distribution. — Temperate North America ; breeds 

 from southern British Columbia eastward on about the 

 parallel 46° to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, south 

 to central California. Texas and Florida; winters chiefly 

 in United States from about 37° southward ; accidental 

 in Bermuda, Mexico, Jamaica, and Europe. 



