296 DUCK GROUP 



The pintail ranges over the tjrcater part of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, but breeds chiefly in the neighbourhood of the Arctic Circle, 

 although the breeding- area is said to descend locally as far as 

 latitude 50". In winter it ranges as far south as northern Africa, 

 Asia Minor, India, Burma, Cej-lon, and China, and in America to the 

 West Indies and Panama. To the British Isles, where it arrives in 

 October or November and remains till March, the species is chiefly 

 a winter-visitor. There arc, however, two records of its nesting in 

 Ireland in former years, and it still breeds occasionally in the north 

 of Scotland and the Isles. A nest has, for instance, been taken on 

 the mainland in Suthcrlandshire, while four were discovered some 

 years ago on Loch Leven ; in the Inner Hebrides a nest was dis- 

 covered in I 88 I, and quite recently a nest with a clutch of nine eggs 

 (which hatched on June 5) was recorded from the Orkne\-s. 



Unlike the mallard and most other British ducks, the pintail makes 

 its nest quite in the open, without any protecting shelter from grass or 

 reeds, and usually places it on the moor or tundra in the neighbour- 

 hood of a lake, tarn, marsh, or river. As a rule, there are from seven to 

 ten eggs in a clutch ; and although they have the same greenish-buff 

 tint, they may readily be distinguished from those of the mallard by 

 their more elongated shape. In the case of the mallard, for example, 

 the eggs measure from 2'i to 2"3 5 inches in length by i '6 in breadth, 

 whereas in the present species the former dimension varies from 

 2-05 to 2"4, and the latter from 1*4 to I'S- Further aid in dis- 

 tinguishing a pintail's nest is afforded by the circumstance that each 

 filament of the dark brown down with which it is lined has a very 

 conspicuous central white star, but only very indistinct traces of 

 white at the tip. 



In some of its winter-haunts the j^intail is reputed to show a 

 preference for the coast, but this is certainly not the case in India, 

 where it is commonly found on inland waters. Both in luirope and 

 India the species is sometimes seen in large flocks, which are 

 occasional!}' composed of drakes alone. In flight the pintail is 

 unrivalled, and the "swirl" of a flock of these beautiful birds as 

 they dash down towards water when once witnessed will never be 

 forgotten. They are largely nocturnal in habit, and in the dajtime 

 often select pieces of water where isolated water-plants are abundant. 

 Their food consists of the usual mixture of animal and vegetable 

 substances, " mare's-tail " being, it is said, a favourite element in their 

 diet, while in autumn they will search the stubbles for corn. When 

 swimming, a flock of j^intail inay be recognised b\' their long, curved 



