41 8 PINTAIL DUCK. 



to Greenland. It breeds abundantly in the northern portions of 

 Europe, and, in gradually decreasing numbers, down to lat. 50" ; 

 while during the cold season it is found over the rest of the Continent, 

 as well as in Northern Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor, the Indian region as 

 far south as Borneo, China and Japan. Returning northward, we 

 find its summer-range extending over Northern Asia, up to and even 

 beyond the Arctic circle. In America it has been met with up to 

 72° N. lat. in Alaska, and thence eastward to Labrador; its winter 

 migrations reaching to the West Indies and Panama. 



The nest — generally placed among coarse herbage in a dry situation, 

 and often at a little distance from water — is deep and well lined with 

 down ; the eggs, 7-10 in number, being pale bufifishgreen in colour 

 and rather -elongated in form : average measurements 2"i by i"5in. 

 Incubation commences in May or June, according to the locality. 

 In winter this species resorts to salt-water estuaries ; or to large 

 open sheets of fresh-water, in the shallow portions of which it finds 

 plants &c. — especially Equiseium and wild rice, as well as insects 

 and their larvae, and small molluscs ; its flesh is therefore excel- 

 lent in flavour. It feeds with its head below the water, its long 

 tail being then raised in the air, and it is notoriously partial to the 

 company of Wigeon. Rather a silent bird by day, it utters a low- 

 toned quack at night. In confinement it breeds freely, and has been 

 known to pair with the Wigeon ; an interesting case is also on record 

 of a male Pintail and a Common Duck producing young half-breeds 

 which had offspring again by the father, while the three-quarter birds 

 bred again with the pure species. Its frequent hybridization with 

 the Mallard in a wild state has already been mentioned ; the half- 

 bred drake being a remarkably handsome bird. 



The adult male in spring has the head and neck bronze-brown, 

 shading into black on the nape, with a white stripe down the neck 

 on each side, meeting the white breast and under parts ; back and 

 flanks mottled grey ; greater wing-coverts buff, followed by a green 

 speculum, margined with black and white ; tail black, the two central 

 feathers much elongated ; under tail-coverts black ; bill, legs and 

 feet chiefly slate-grey. In July the plumage of the female is assumed, 

 and is retained until October. Whole length, somewhat influenced 

 by the tail-feathers, 26-28 in. ; wingio'5in. The female is mottled- 

 brown above and greyish-white below ; the long slender neck, green 

 colour of the speculum, and the oblique bars on the tail sufficing to 

 distinguish her from any other species. The young are like her in 

 their first plumage. 



