KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 9I 



Adult female : Head and neck mottled and streaked with pale brown and dark brown or 

 black ; under parts brownish, mottled and spotted with fuscous, scarcely showing on the middle 

 of the belly ; speculum and wing coverts as in the male. 



Length, 19.50; Wing, 9.50 ; Bill, 2.60; Tarsus, 1.50. 



The immature male is often intermediate in plumage between the adult male and female, but 

 the speculum shows but little green and the wing coverts are slaty gray. The head is often very- 

 much mottled when changing to adult plumage. 



J if * » * • k I ■ 



,r,..' 



■Uy # i fit ;>»\ 



(Female.) 



This species ranges throughout the Northern Hemisphere, commonly in 

 the interior. It breeds from Minnesota northward as a rule : there is no 

 record of its breeding in the Atlantic States. 



Ranges in winter to South America, being one of the common species in 

 Florida during the winter months. The eggs are pale buff white, usually 

 from six to ten in number. The note of the male is a gutteral short "■ Thuck 

 thuck" ; the female "quacks." 



Genus DAFILA Stephens. 



DAFILA ACUTA (Z/////.). 

 Pintail. Sprigtail. 



Adult male : Bill black having the edges lead color; head and neck dark rufous brown 



sometimes showing a faint gloss of green on the feathers ; sides of the neck showing a stripe of 

 white and a stripe of black extending down the back of the neck ; under parts white showing 

 faint wavy fine lines of dusky on the sides ; crissum black edged with white ; central tail 

 feathers very much elongated in the male ; feet lead color. 



Length, 28 ; Wing, 9.50 : Tail, 7 ; Bill, 2. 



