PINTAIL DUCK. 83 



thereby afford the sportsman a fair opportunity of raking them with 

 advantage. They generally leave the Delaware about the middle of 

 March, on the way to their native regions the north, where they are 

 most numerous. They inhabit the whole northern parts of Europe and 

 Asia, and doubtless the corresponding latitudes of America. Are said 

 likewise to be found in Italy. Great flocks of them are sometimes 

 spread along the isles and shores of Scotland and Ireland, and on the 

 interior lakes of both these countries. On the marshy shores of some 

 of the bays of Lake Ontario they are often plenty in the months of 

 October and November. I have also met with them at Louisville on the 

 Ohio. 



The Pintail Duck is twenty-six inches in length, and two feet ten 

 inches in extent ; the bill is a dusky lead color ; irides dark hazel ; 

 head and half of the neck pale brown, each side of the neck marked 

 with a band of purple violet, bordering the white, hind part of the upper 

 half of the neck black, bordered on each side by a stripe of white, which 

 spreads over the lower part of the neck before ; sides of the breast and 

 upper part of the back white, thickly and elegantly marked with trans- 

 verse undulating lines of black, here and there tinged with pale buff; 

 throat and middle of the belly white tinged with cream ; flanks finely 

 pencilled with waving lines, vent white, under tail coverts black ; lesser 

 wing coverts brown ash, greater the same, tipped with orange, below 

 which is the speculum or beauty spot of rich golden green bordered 

 below with a band of black, and another of white ; primaries dusky 

 brown ; tertials long, black, edged with white, and tinged with rust ; 

 rump and tail coverts pale ash centered with dark brown ; tail greatly 

 pointed, the two middle tapering feathers being full five inches longer 

 than the others and black, the rest brown ash edged with white ; legs a 

 pale lead color. 



The female has the crown of a dark brown color ; neck of a dull 

 brownish white, thickly speckled with dark brown ; breast and belly 

 pale brownish white, interspersed with white ; back and root of the neck 

 above black, each feather elegantly waved with broad lines of brownish 

 white, these wavings become rufous on the scapulars ; vent white, 

 spotted with dark brown ; tail dark brown spotted with white ; the two 

 middle tail feathers half an inch longer than the others. 



The Sprigtail is an elegantly formed, long bodied Duck, the neck 

 longer and more slender than most others. 



