784 



THE I'lX'lWlL. 



General Range. — XurthiTii lu'niis]iluTL'. In Xdrtli Anurica hrcc-ilin^f cliicHy 

 north <il tlie Tnited States, Ijut irregularly soiitli in the West to Arizona, etc.; 

 sontli in winter thnunit the L'nited States to Cuba aiul I'auania. 



Range in Washington. — Common winter resident and early spring and late 

 fall migrant, especially on Puget Sound. Breeds sparingly in the interior. 



Authorities.— Baird, Rep. Par. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, p. y-jy. T. C&S. \J. 

 Rh. Kb. ]!. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W.) Prov. P.. BN. K. 



REGARDE13 from any \ie\v pnint sa\e that ci' familiarity, the Pintail 

 deserves to head the list nt Ki\er 1 )iicks ( Anal'uuc } . The Mallard is the con- 

 temporary ancestor of the domestic duck, and as such is jierhaps entitled to 

 first consideration; but the Pintail is the e])ili>mc of all th;it makes ducks inter- 

 esting. He is as handsome as an\- ( sa\e the Wood I 'tick, \vho is a ])rofes- 

 sional l)eaut\- I, and to the splendor of a handsome color-patiern he adds both 



a s i n u o u s 

 t^racefulness 

 of tiiovement 

 and a bearing 

 of conscious 

 quality. 

 M a r k him 

 sitliui; high 

 on the water, 

 rellecting the 

 nioininv, sun 

 f r o m h i s 

 sn( j\v\' lireast, 

 swaying the 

 mobile neck 

 in sagacious 

 scrutiny, and 

 raismg t h c 

 slender, ta- 

 pering tail 

 aloft like an 

 it will ne\er be 



Tahcn in Oic^oit. 



Fhoto by H. T. Bchiman and W. L. Fiulcy 

 PI.\T.\IL DUCK 0.\ NEST. 



ensign, and if the phrase "lordly Pintail" occurs to you 

 discarded. 



Pintails are wary birds, and vvdien mingling on the water with other 

 species are usually the first to give the alarm. Being of a sociable nature, and 

 also fastidious as to personal appearance, they spend a good deal of time on 

 shore preening their feathers and gabl:)ling amiably, or else na]ip.ing. Here, by 



