912 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. - LAMELLIROSTRES— AN SERES. 



coverts rather slate-gray thau blue, aud little trace of the green mirror. In any plumage the 

 species is at once recognized by the peculiar bill. Length 17.00-21.00; extent 30.00-33.00; 

 wing 9.50; tail 3.00; bill about 2.70, along commissure 3.00; tarsus 1.33. Northern Hemi- 

 sphere; in North America at large, breeding from Alaska and Hudson's Bay to Texas; win- 

 tering in abundance from the middle districts to Central America, and on the Pacific coast S. 

 from the Columbia River; rare on the Atlantic coast north of the middle districts. Eggs 

 usually 7-9, sometimes 12 or more, averaging 2.10 X 1-50, smooth, elliptical, dull pale green- 

 ish-gray or pale olive buffy, sometimes faintly bluish; nest on ground, not peculiar; down 

 which may cover the eggs dark gray, with lighter centre and white tip ; period of incubation 

 22 or 23 days. In full dress, which is comparatively infrequent, since it characterizes only 

 the breeding season, this is a very smart and jaunty drake, tricked out in parti-color; most 

 specimens, however, are found in a plumage more like that of the 9 • The bird is among the 

 best of the Ducks for the table. 



DA'FILA. (A non-sense word.) Pintail-ducks. Tail (in adult $) narrow, cuneate, 

 when fully developed nearly as long as wing, 2 central feathers long-exserted, linear-acute ; in 



9 and young, tail merely tapering, 

 with acute feathers; tail-feathers 

 10, including long middle pair. 

 Bill shorter than head, longer 

 than tarsus, nearly parallel-sided, 

 widening a little to end; nail 

 small ; nostrils narrow, higli up 

 in basal third of bill. Feathers 

 of cheeks sweeping in strongly 

 conv(!X outline along side of upper 

 mandible, beyond those on side of 

 lower mandible. Wing acute ; 

 1st and 2d primaries subequal and 

 longest, rest rapidly graduated. 

 Neck unusually long and slender ; 

 form less " stocky '' than that of most Ducks. Sexes and young very unlike in color, even to 

 wing-markings, as well as in shape of tail. Bill and feet dark. Under parts white or whitish. 

 Speculum of $ framed in buff, white, and black. A small genus of large iiandsome Ducks, 

 in its main section including only the following species and D. spinicauda of South America. 

 In the section Poecilonetta are D. bahamensis and D. galapagensis, with the African D. ery- 

 throrhyncha. The Kerguelen island Teal, referred to Dafila by Salvadori, is type t)f my 

 subgenus Dafilula. 



D. acu'ta. (Lat. acuta, acute, as the tail is. Figs. 638, 639.) Pin-tail. Sprig-tail. 

 Split-tail. Spike-tail. Pike-tail. Picket-tail. Peak-tail. Sharp-tail. Sprit 

 TAIL. Spindle-tail. Kite-tail. Pigeon-tail (such names, generally of the ^ only, 

 often turned into adjectives with "Duck" or "Widgeon" added). Pheasant Duck. Sea- 

 PHEASANT. Water-pheasant. These also for the ^ ; while for the 9 v\'e have: Gray 

 Duck. Pied Gray Duck. Pied Wigeon. Sea Widgeon. Also for either sex : Winter 

 Duck. Lady-bird. Long-neck Cracker. Harlan. Smee, Smeath or Smethe (prop- 

 erly belonging to the Merganser, Mergus albelliis). Adult ^ : Bill black, with grayish-blue 

 edge of upper mandible ; feet grayish-blue ; claws black ; iris brown. Head and neck above 

 rich dark brown, glossed with green aud purple ; side of neck with a long white stripe running 

 up from white under parts ; back of neck with a black stripe passing below into gray color of 

 back ; lower fore-neck, breast, and under parts white ; sides finely waved with black ; crissum 

 black, white-bordered. Fore back finely waved with narrow bars of black and white or 

 whitish ; scapulars and long inner secondaries firmly striped lengthwise with velvety-black and 



Fig. C38. — Head of Dafila, 9, nat. size. (Ad. nat. del. E. C.) 



