380 



AiYSERES. 



anatidj:. 



ANATID^. 



Dafila acuta (Linnaeus*). 

 THE PINTAIL DUCK. 



Anas acuta. 



Dafila, Stephens f. — Bill about as long as tbe head ; the edges nearly 

 parallel, but widening a trifle to the end; lamella; not very strongly defined. 

 Neck long and slender. Wings long and pointed, the first and second quill- 

 feathers subequal and longest, the rest rapidly graduated. Tail sharply pointed ; 

 the central rectrices considerably elongated in the male. Legs rather short ; 

 hind toe small ; margin of web to anterior toes, slightly eraarginate. 



This slender and handsome Duck is a regular visitor to 

 this country, and is one of the first among those species 

 which are taken when the decoys hegin to he worked in 

 October. It remains here through the winter till spring, 

 and is obtained by wild-fowl shooters on the coast, as well 

 as by fenmen on the rivers and lakes of the interior. It 



* A7iax acuta, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 202 (1766). 

 t Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii. pt. ii. p. 127 (1824). Dafila appears to be merely 

 a name of pleasant sound : signifying nothing. 



