BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 49 



tudes in which the species breed, and further intimating that 

 the smaller flocks which follow are subdivisions of larger ones 

 which have begun to disintergrate before reaching us here. 

 Their movements at these times do not materially differ from 

 those of the Black Ducks on the wing, but the preponderance 

 of white in the color easily distinguishes them at all ordinary 

 distances and there can be no reason for mistaking them. They 

 soon pair, and soon seek their grounds for breeding their 

 young. Their food is, as their long, pectinated bills fore- 

 shadow, aquatic insects, larvse, tadpoles, worms, &c., which 

 are obtained mostly in shallow waters. I have often flushed 

 them from muddy pools and frogponds by the roadside before 

 the nesting had begun, but never afterwards I think. 



The distribution of the Shovellers is entirely determined by 

 the character of the ponds and pools which afford their pecu- 

 liar food. In the early autumn, if the frosts are delayed, as 

 once until the middle of Octooer, they live almost exclusively 

 upon crustaceans and small molluscs, especially snails, which 

 abound at that season about the shallow lakes and ponds. 



They disappear very soon upon the advent of the first crisp 

 frosts, be that, as in one year, August 30th, or September 30th. 

 Their flesh is white and excellent, yet for some unexplainable 

 reason is not popular in the average local markets, notwith- 

 standing the high esteem in which it is held at the seaboards. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head and neck green; forepart and sides of breast, greater 

 portion of scapulars, and of the base of the tail, white; rest of 

 under parts dull purplish chestnut; crissum, rump, and upper 

 tail coverts black, the latter glossed with green; wing coverts 

 blue, the posterior row, brown in the concealed portion, and 

 tipped with white; longest tertials blue, streaked internally 

 with white; others velvet green, streaked centrally with white; 

 speculum grass- green, edged very narrowly behind with black, 

 and then with white. 



Length, 20; wing, 9.50; tarsus, 1.40; commissure, 3. 



Habitat. Northern Hemisphere. 



DAFILA ACUTA (L.). (143.) 

 PINTAIL. 



When the steady advance of the sun has banished the ice 

 from the lakes and every pool is ringing with the monotonous 

 peepings of the frogs, the Pintails will be found in considera- 

 ble numbers on the mud flats of the open level prairies, and ex- 



