124 WATER FOWL. 



rolling note, similar to that uttered by the little Scaup 

 and some other Ducks, and which can be imitated by a 

 rapid vibration of the tongue, at the same time trying to 

 utter the letter R. The Pintail visits the interior of 

 Alaska as well as the sea-coast, and frequents the pools 

 on the flats. It is also found on various islands of the 

 Aleutian chain. On the eastern side of North America 

 this species is very abundant in summer on the Barren 

 Grounds and in the vicinity of Fort Anderson, where it 

 breeds. 



On its autumn migration southward the Pintail makes 

 its appearance in the United States, (provided that it has 

 not remained within our borders during the summer), the 

 latter part of September or beginning of October, coming 

 down with the other "big" Ducks, like the Widgeon, Gad- 

 wall, etc., from its northern breeding grounds. On its 

 first arrival it is usually tame and unsuspicious, as there 

 is a large proportion of young birds in the flocks which 

 have yet to make the acquaintance of man and his ne- 

 farious ways. At this time they come readily to decoys, 

 and exhibit little of that wariness so conspicuously mani- 

 fested later in the season. 



The lakes and rivers of the western country becom- 

 ing frozen, the Pintail, in company with the vast army 

 of Water Fowl, now yearly lessened in numbers, 

 moves onward to the milder clime of the Sunny South, 

 or diverges across the country to the shores of the great 

 oceans. On the Atlantic coast multitudes pass the win- 

 ter in the sounds lying just within the beach of North 

 Carolina and adjacent States, where the usually open 

 winter permits them to indulge in their usual avoca- 

 tions without interruption. Should, however, a cold 

 norther freeze the marshes and open water, they depart 

 temporarily on a brief trip southward, returning again as 



