DUCKS. 153 



and another "near Christchurch." Three were shot 

 on the river Frome near Dorchester in 1854; one 

 at Owre Moyne, January 29, 1857; one at Poole 

 in the winter of 1867; one above Julian Bridge, 

 Wimborne, in December 1 868, and a young male in 

 my collection was shot in February 1 869 at Milbome 

 St. Andrew's, sixteen miles from the sea. The last of 

 which I have any note was killed in Poole harbour, 

 December 21, 1885. In an exceptional case the 

 Shoveller has been known to breed in Dorsetshire. 

 The discoveiy of a nest of this bird at Ilsington was 

 made known by the late Mr. William Thompson of 

 Weymouth in The Zoologist for 1857, p. 5757. 



PINTAIL. Dafila acuta, (L.) 



Yarrell, iv. p. 380; Dresser, vi. p. 531; Ibis List, p. 124; 

 Anas acuta, Harting, p. 62 ; Seebohm, iii. p. 534 ; Pulteney's 

 List, p. 21. 



Unlike the two preceding species, the Pintail is a 

 regular and not unfrequent visitor in winter, although 

 never very numerous. It frequently associates with 

 Wigeon, both by day and night, and gets killed with 

 these birds at the same shot by the punt-gunners on 

 the coast. Colonel Hawker writes : "I have often 

 killed both at the same shot. They are most expert 

 birds in running and diving when winged. I remem- 

 ber one winter stopping about a dozen at a shot on 

 the mud, and I could only get six of them after 

 a chase of three hours in a downpour of rain." 

 Pulteney mentions the occurrence of the Pintail at 



