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persons visiting this comiiry to bring with them a live Widgeon, 

 as there is nothing to admire in its voice, or any thing particularly 

 elegant in its plumage, or delicious in the flavor of its flesh. Thus, 

 as a matter of profit or pleasure, it would not compensate one for 

 the trouble. 



ANAS ACUTA— LINN- 

 PINTAIL DUCK. 



Pintail Duck, Anas acuta, Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 Alias acuta, Bonap. S)n. 

 Anas caudacula. Pintail Duck, Sw. & Rich. 

 Pinlail or Winter Duck, .\ijas acuta, Nutt. Man. 

 Pintail Duck, Anas acuta, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Characler — Bill long and narrow, lead color, at the tip 

 a spot of black, at the corner of the moulh a spot of similar color; 

 neck long and slender ; speculum bright purple, with reflecting 

 deep green, bordered with black ; the feathers broadly tipped with 

 white ; tail long and pointed. Adult male with head, cheeks, throat, 

 upper part of the neck in front and sides, dark brown; a band of 

 light purple behind the eye, extending about three inches on the 

 sides of the neck — on the hind neck a band of black, with green 

 reflections, fading as it extends on the back — a band of white com- 

 mencing between the two former, passing down the neck on the 

 lower part of the fore-neck. Breast and fore part of the abdo- 

 men white, tinged with pale yellow — hind part of the abdomen and 

 vent grayish-white, tinged with yellow, and marked with undu- 

 latinof lines of brown or dusky. At the base of the tail a patch of 

 black — under tail-coverts black, margined with whitish — two mid- 

 dle feathers black, with green reflections, narrow, and about three 

 inches longer than the rest, which are rather long and tapering — 

 upper tail-coverts ash-gray, margined with yellowish white, with 

 a central streak of dusky. Rump grayish-brown, marked with 

 undulating lines of white — sides of the rump cream-color — 

 sides of the body, back, and sides of the breast, marked 

 with undulating lines of black and white. Primaries brown 

 — ^shafts brownish-white, darker at their tips — secondaries and 



