94 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 223 



British and French Somaliland, where it probably will be found to 

 occur as well. Wherever it is found, it seems to be fairly common. 



There is little evidence that the pintail is even locally migratory, 

 although some writers have made this suggestion. The probable 

 reason for such statements is that the observers did not recognize the 

 species in its nonbreeding plumage, when it is admittedly not too 

 easUy distinguished in the field from other nonbreeding weavers. 

 However, Hopkinson (m Bannerman, 1949, p. 382) wrote that in 

 Gambia the numbers of pintails increase greatly in June when the 

 males assume their distinctive feathering, "a real immigration for 

 breeding here during the rains, not a merely apparent increase because 

 the cock then becomes more noticeable." 



My own field work in southern and eastern Africa permitted me to 

 see the pintail on countless occasions, and I had the opportunity to 

 take many notes on its habits. These notes are incorporated with the 

 other data in the following account. 



Breeding Season 



A r6sum6 follows of the evidence indicating the breeding season of 

 the pintail in various parts of its enormous range. These data are 

 taken from published observations, from labels on museum specimens, 

 and from unpublished observations of a number of contributors. 



Gambia: Breeds during the rains (probably in August). 



Sierra Leone: Gandorhun, August 1, males seen displaying. 



Liberia: June, "establishing territories" (H. A. Beatty). Lenga Town, 

 August 21, female with well-developed ova collected. 



Ivory Coast: B^oumi, 200 miles north of Grand Bassam, November 28, female 

 collected \\ith egg in the oviduct. 



Nigeria: Courtship display and copulation recorded in June and July. 

 Southern part of the country, males in nuptial plumage, March to November. 

 Enugu, females with ovarian eggs well developed, September 9 to October 20. 



Belgian Congo: Uelle and northern Ituri, males assume breeding dress in 

 May, but breeding delayed until August to October. Kasenyi, September 8, 

 egg. Lake Albert, prenuptial molt in May, but at Lake Edward in December, 

 liuluabourg, Kasai, January 23, newly fledged young. South of the forest in the 

 Kasai, males in breeding plumage from October to January. 



Sudan: Kagelu, Equatoria, November, eggs. Darfur, copulation observed 

 September 20. Said to breed April to July, and September to November. 



Uganda: Entebbe, eggs, October 4, November 11. Said to breed March to 

 November. 



Ethiopia: Alghe, November 4, male with swollen gonads collected. Said 

 to breed August to November. 



Kenya: Said to breed throughout the year. Actual records from November 

 to January and April to July. 



Tanganyika: Iringa, January and March, specimens in breeding condition 

 collected. Said to breed irregularly throughout the year. 



Zanzibar: April 18, female collected T\ith well-developed ova. Said to breed 

 December to May. 



