THE PINTAIL 313 



average duck can hope to attain, for estimates 

 give both birds credit for ability to make ninety 

 miles an hour! 



Shy and cautious in the extreme, the Pintails 

 are seldom caught napping, and seem to have 

 but one failing in their tactics: They are apt 

 to become confused if suddenly alarmed, when 

 the flock bunches closely as they jump straight 

 up into the air, leaping from earth or water as 

 though thrown up by a powder blast, just as the 

 black duck does when it starts up from the 

 marsh in a hurry. This is the one time when 

 the Pintail is ungraceful, with his long neck 

 cork-screwing and almost tying itself into knots 

 in his excitement. If wounded it is a very sldll- 

 ful skulker, and while not a great submarine 

 navigator, can, by partially immersing its body 

 and laying its long neck down on the water, the 

 tactics of a wounded goose, disclaim any inten- 

 tion of attracting unnecessary notice to its 

 movements. It is wary about coming to decoys 

 and usually makes several circuits of the neigh- 

 borhood in search of the reason for the tolers' 

 presence before trusting them implicitly. In 

 fact, since good company always benefits, the 



