THE PINTAIL. 



785 



the exercise nf proper precautions, they may he stalked: and owing to their 

 habit of bundling closelx- when taking to wing, a second barrel may be even 

 more destructi\-e than the first. As single winged targets, they are among the 

 most difficult, as their flight is extremely swift, perhaps the nuist rapid of any 

 of the ducks. 



At the mating season the Pintails delight to exhibit their volatorial powers. 

 A bravo will climb the heavens in sheer exuberance of spirit, and then descend 

 on stiffl}- (Outstretched and d(jwn-cur\ed wings at a l)reakneck speed. As he 

 nears the grountl, he shifts the angle slightly, and shoots o\'er the surface like 

 a meteor, challenging as he passes, with a wing-rush which leaves the beholder 

 almost dazed. The female simietimes participates in these aerial excursions, 

 and enjoys the sport as well as her consort. Xelson tells of such a pair 

 which attracted his attention in the lower Yukon country : "Back and forth 

 they passed at a mar\elously swift rate of speetl. with fre(|uent (|uick turns 

 and evolutions. At one moment they were almost out of \iew high o\-erhead, 

 and the next saw them skimming along the ground in an in\-ol\-e(l course very 

 difficult to follow with the eye. Ere long a second male jijined in the chase, 

 then a third, and so on until six males \-ied with each other in the pursuit. The 

 original pursuer appeared to be the only one capable of keeping close to the cov 

 female, and owing to her dextrous turns and curves he was able to draw near 

 onlv at inter- _ _. , 



vals. When- 

 e\'er he did 

 succeed he al- 

 wa_\'s passed 

 under the fe- 

 male, and ke])t 

 so close to her 

 that their 

 wings clattered 

 t(5gether with 

 a noise like a 

 w a t c h m a n's 

 rattle, and 

 audible a long 

 distance. This 

 chase lasted 

 half an hour, 

 and after fi\e 

 of the pur- 

 suers had 

 dropped off . young pintails. 



Taken in Oregon. 



Photo by Bohhnan and Finlcy. 



