P84 THE PINTAIL. 
General Range.—Northern hemisphere, In North America breeding chiefly 
north of the United States, but irregularly south in the West to Arizona, etc.; 
south in winter thruout the United States to Cuba and Panama. 
Range in Washington.—Common winter resident and early spring and late 
fall migrant, especially on Puget Sound. Breeds sparingly in the interior. 
Authorities.—Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, p. 777. T. C&S. L. 
Rh. Kb. B. E. 
Specimens.—(U. of W.) Prov. B. BN. E. 
REGARDED from any view point save that of familiarity, the Pintail 
deserves to head the list or River Ducks (Anatina The Mallard is the con 
temporary ancestor of the domestic duck, and as such is perhaps entitled to 
first consideration; but the Pintail is the epitome of all that makes ducks inter 
esting. He is as handsome as any (save the Wood Duck, who is a profes 
sional beauty), and to the splendor of a handsome color-pattern he adds both 
a sinuous 
wracefulness 
of movement 
and a bearing 
of conscious 
quality 
S ig igh 
new t 
CTLed ti 
sun 
i ae Ss 
scrutiny, and 
raising the 
slence r. ie 
pering tari 
aloft like an 
ensign, and if the phrase “lordly Pintail’” occurs to vou, it will never be 
Pintails are Wary birds. and when mingling on the water with other 
speees are usuall the first to give the alarm Re ng of a Sor iable nature, and 
fastidious as to personal appearance, they spend a good deal of time on 
shore preening their feathers and gabbling an iably, or else napping. Here, by 
