THE PINTAIL. 785 
the exercise of proper precautions, they may be stalked; and owing to their 
habit of bunching closely when taking to wing, a second barrel may be even 
more destructive than the first. As single winged targets, they are among the 
most difficult, as their flight is extremely swift, perhaps the most rapid of any 
of the ducks. 
At the mating season the Pintails delight to exhibit their volatorial powers. 
A bravo will climb the heavens in sheer exuberance of spirit, and then descend 
on stiffly outstretched and down-curved wings at a breakneck speed. As he 
nears the ground, he shifts the angle slightly, and shoots over the surface like 
a meteor, challenging as he passes, with a wing-rush which leaves the beholder 
almost dazed. The female sometimes participates in these aerial excursions, 
and enjoys the sport as well as her consort. Nelson tells of such a pair 
which attracted his attention in the lower Yukon country: “Back and forth 
they passed at a marvelously swift rate of speed, with frequent quick turns 
and evolutions. At one moment they were almost out of view high overhead, 
and the next saw them skimming along the ground 1n an involved course very 
difficult to follow with the eye. Ere long a second male joined in the chase, 
then a third, and so on until six males vied with each other in the pursuit. The 
original pursuer appeared to be the only one capable of keeping close to the coy 
female, and owing to her dextrous turns and curves he was able to draw near 
only at inter- , 
vals. When- § 
ever he did 
succeed he al- 
ways passed 
under the fe- 
male, and kept 
so close to her 
fala alstem eles 
wings clattered 
together with 
a noise like a 
watchman’s 
Gaitule ms vancd 
audible a long 
distance. This 
chase lasted 
half an hour, 
and after five 
of the pur- 
Smers Ingal Taken in Oregon. Photo by Bohlman and Finley. 
dropped off YOUNG PINTAILS. 
