ANATID.E — THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 147 



spotted) coloration, and in the very slight elonp;ation of the 

 middle rectrices. They constitute a group somewhat interme- 

 diate between J)afila and Nettion, and are again directly con- 

 nected with the latter by several small ducks of the southern 

 hemisphere, usually referred to the genus Quenjuedula (e. g. 

 flavirostris, of South America, and eatmii^ of .Kerguelen 

 Island). The genus I'lvdlonetta (type, Anas haliamenais Linn.) 

 was proposed for this grouj) by Kaup, and should probably be 

 retained for it. ' 



Dafila acuta (Linn.) 



PINTAIL. 

 Popular synomyns. SpriK-tail; Spiki'-tail; Pike-tail; Piokot-fail; Plieasant Duck: Soa 

 Phoasant, Water Pheasant; Smoe. SmooR. or Smotho (Now Jersey); Long-neck; 

 Pato golondrino (Mexico).* 

 Anas acuta Linn. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758.126; od. 12, i. 17»;r,.202.-WrLS. Am. Orn. viii. 1814, 

 pi. 68. Sle- 3.— NUTT. Man. ii. 1831,386.— AUD. Orn. Biog. iii. 1835,214; v, 1839,615, pi. 

 227; Synop. 1S39.279; Birds Am. vi. 1813,266. pi. 390. 

 Dajila acuta Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, .W— Baird. B. N. Am. 1858, 776; Cat. N. Am. B. 

 1859. No. 578.— CouES, Key. 1872. 286; Chock List. 1873, No. 4110; ed. 18s2. No. 710; 

 Birds N. W. 1874. 561.— IIensh. Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 473.— Ridgw. Orn. 40th 

 Par. 1877. 622; Nom. N. Am. B. 1S81. No. 605; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 98.-B. B. & II. 

 Water B. N. Am. i. i884, 511.-A. O. U. Check Lis', 1886, No. 143. 

 "Anas alandica Spabbm. Mus. Carls, iii, pi. 60." 

 Anas sparrmanni Lath. Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 876. 

 Anas caudaoita Pall. Zoog. Rosso- As. ii. 1826, 280. 

 Anas longicauda Bbiss. Orn. vi, 1760, 366, pi. 34, lie. 1, 2. 

 Anas candata Bbebm, Yog. Doutschl. 869. 

 Dafila acuta, var. aiaericana Bonap. Compt. Rond. xllll, 1856. 

 Hab. Nearly the entire northern homisiihere, breeding ohielly far northward; in 

 North Amori -a migrating south in winter as far as Panama and Cuba, 



Sp. Chab. Adult male, in fall, icinter, and sprino: Head and upper half of the nock 

 hajr-brown or grayish umber.thoupporsurface darker, often inclining to deep sepia-brown; 

 all the feathers (usually) appreciably darker centrally, producing an indistinctly and 

 minutely speckled appearance; on each side of the occiput the brown has a metallic gloss 

 of dull green, showing a faint purple reflection in some lights. Nape opaaue intense 

 black, separated from the brown of the upper neck by an upward extension of the white of 

 the lower neck nearly to the occiput. Stripe on each side of the nape (as described above), 

 lower half of the neck f rontally and laterally, breast, and abdomen immaculate white. Lower 

 hind neck, with entire donsal region and lateral lower parts, llnely waved with trans- 

 verse, rather zigzag, lines of white and black ot nearly equal width. Longer s.apulars 

 opaque velvety black centrally, edged broadly with grayish white; outer scapulars with 

 exposed ends of their outer webs entirely velvety black. Tertials silvery gray, with 

 a median stripe of Intense velvety black. Speculum dull green, varying to dull bronzy 

 purple, with a subterralnlal bar of velvety black and a tip of white. Wing-oovorts uni- 

 form brownish gray, the last row broadly tipped with cinnamon-rufous. Primaries dull 

 »laty. Upper tall-covorts with outer webs black, the inner websgrayish white; lower 

 tail-coverts diop opaque velvety black, the exterior row with their outer webs white; post- 

 femoral space delicate cream-color. Tail-feathers dark ashy edged with white, the elon- 



• For many of the local namos of game and water birds I am Indebted to Mr. Ourdon 

 Tnimhull's Names and I'nrliaits of Hints. (Harper Brothers, Now York.) a moat useful 

 work, which should be in the hands of every sportsman. 



