148 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Manitoba. The eggs closely resemble, in color and general appear- 

 ance, those of the mallard and the shoveller, but they average smaller 

 than the former and slightly larger than the latter, the measurements 

 overlapping in both cases. In shape they are usually elliptical ovate 

 and the color varies from very pale olive green to very pale olive 

 buff, which fades out to a mere tint. 



Although the eggs of the pintail can not be separated with cer- 

 tainty from those of the above two species the nests of all three can 

 usually be identified if a clear view of the female is obtained as she 

 flies from the nest; the female pintail can be distinguished from 

 female mallard by the absence of the purple speculum with its con- 

 spicuous white borders and by its long slender form; she can be dis- 

 tinguished from the shoveller by her larger size and her small bill ; the 

 female shoveller has a long neck, but a conspicuously large bill; the 

 wing pattern is different, but the difference is difficult to detect in 

 the rapidily moving wings of a flying duck. 



The measurements of 102 eggs, in various collections, average 54.9 

 by 38.2 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 60 

 by 38.5, 58.5 by 40.5, 50.5 by 37.2 and 53 by 35 millimeters. 



Young. — The period of incubation is about 22 or 23 days and the 

 incubation is performed wholly by the female; she is a very close 

 sitter and is often nearly trodden upon before she will leave the nest; 

 I have heard of one being knocked over with a stick or a plowman's 

 whip as she fluttered off, and it is not a difficult matter to photograph 

 one on her nest. The male does not, I believe, wholly desert the 

 female during the process of incubation and he assists somewhat in 

 the care of the young, though he is not as bold in their defense. The 

 young remain in the nest for a day or so after they are hatched or 

 until the down is thoroughly dried. The whole brood usually hatches 

 within a few hours, for, although only one egg is laid each day, in- 

 cubation does not begin until the set is complete. As soon as the 

 young are strong enough to walk they are led by their mother to 

 the nearest water, which is often a long distance away, and taught to 

 feed on soft insect and aquatic animal food. I have seen some re- 

 markable demonstrations of parental solicitude by female pintails; 

 they are certainly the most courageous of any of the ducks in the 

 defense of their young. Once in North Dakota as we waded out into 

 a marsh a female pintail flew towards us, dropped into the water near 

 us, and began splashing about in a state of great excitement. The 

 young ducks were probably well hidden among the reeds, though we 

 could not see or hear them. During all the time, for an hour or 

 more, that we were wading around the little slough that pintail 

 watched us and followed us closely, flying about our hejids and back 

 and forth over the slough, frequently splashing down into the Avater 

 near us in the most reckless manner, swimming about in small cii-clea 



