384 AMEEICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 



SO that amateurs may recognize them when tliey see 

 them. 



The next of kin to tlie grecn-liead is the black mallard 

 (Anas ohscurus), which is also known as the dusky and 

 the black duck. This resembles the female of the jn-c- 

 ceding species, but is much darker; the feet have a red- 

 dish orange hue; the mandibles are yellowish-green, and it 

 weighs about three pounds. It is compai-atively scarce in 

 the West, but is rather common in the Southwest, espe- 

 cially in Texas. It is generally shot from concealment, 

 and large bags are rarely made, as it moves in small 

 teams and takes little notice of decoys. 



The gadwall, or gray duck {Chaulelasmus strepents), 

 is abundant in the West. Its bill is bluish -black; the feet 

 are a dull orange; the webs are dusky; the head is alight 

 yellowish-red; tlie general color of the body is a mixture 

 of black and white, and the middle wing-coverts are 

 chestnut, but the greater coverts are black. The male at- 

 tains a length of about twenty-two inches, and a weight 

 of nearly two pounds; the female is much smaller. It 

 answers readily to the mallard call, and alights to mallard 

 decoys, and, being less shy than others of its family, it 

 may be ai)proached rather easily, if it is not kept in a con- 

 stant state of terror by pot and market hunters. Its 

 flesh is excellent, and is considered by epicures to equal 

 that of the mallard. 



The pintail duck {Dafila acuta), which is locally known 

 as the sprigtail, sharptail, and water pheasant, is exceed- 

 ingly common everywhere west of the Mississippi River, 

 but is scarce on the eastern seaboard. It seems to be 

 fonder of sheltered streams than open lakes or ponds, so 

 that it might be called a river duck. Its bill is black; the 

 iris is brown; the feet are grayish-blue; the head and up- 

 per nock are greenish -brown; an o])lifjue band of white 

 decorates each side of the neck; the lower neck and under 

 parts are white, and the back is grayish. The tail is com- 



