PINTAIL DUCK. 163 



Iceland, laying from six to ten eggs, in a nest placed among 

 reeds and thick herbage ; it is also found in North America 

 and the United States. 



The appearance of the adult male in July, August, and 

 September, has been already noticed. In winter the bill is 

 lead grey on the sides, part of the central ridge and the base 

 brownish-black ; irides dark brown ; head, cheeks, chin, sides, 

 and upper half of the neck in front rich dark brown ; nape 

 and back of the neck the same, the occipital portion tinged 

 with purple ; back, scapulars, the part before the wings, 

 and the smaller coverts, rich grey, produced by fine un- 

 dulating alternate lines of greyish-white and bluish-black ; 

 primaries greyish-brown ; secondaries black, the end of the 

 outer web of each forming a speculum of dark green ; greater 

 wing-coverts ash-brown, tipped with reddish-bufF and white ; 

 tertials elongated, black in the centre, with a white lateral 

 margin on the outer web, and a grey one on the inner ; tail- 

 coverts ash grey ; the elongated tail-feathers black ; the 

 others dark brown, margined with white ; from the occipital 

 jDortion of the neck on each side descends a white stripe, which 

 becoming broader as it passes downwards, extends in front 

 over the whole of the lower portion of the neck, breast, belly, 

 and part of the flanks ; the sides grey ; vent and under tail- 

 coverts velvet black ; legs, toes, and their membranes, black- 

 ish-brown. 



The whole length of the male, somewhat influenced by 

 the tail-feathers, is from twenty-six to twenty-eight inches. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing ten inches and 

 a half ; the first quill-feather the longest in the wing. 



The female has the head reddish -brown ; the neck pale 

 brown, both parts speckled with very dark brown ; upper 

 surface of the body dark brown ; each feather almost black 

 in the centre, and pale brown on the margin ; tail-feathers 

 also dark brown, varied with pale brown ; no appearance of 



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