CHAPTER XXIV. 
PIN-TAIL DUCK—SPRIG-TAIL DUCK. 
(Anas Acuta.) 
THe pin-tail, or as it is frequently called, the sprig-tail 
or sharp-tail duck, is one almost as familiar to Western 
shooters as the mallard. They are a particularly hand- 
some duck, and their graceful proportions are admired 
more than any other of the duck species. They are 
swift flyers, when inclined to be so, and their long, 
rakish contour leads one to instantly decide that they 
have the requisite embodiments of all that is necessary 
for great speed. As they stand on some grassy knoll, 
with their long necks stretched up, showing the per- 
fect proportions of their long, oval-shaped bodies, 
terminating at a sharp point at the end of their tails, 
