COMMON PINTAIL. 121 



might have been now and then seen hanging in 

 poultry shops of Edinburgh, killed in this country ; 

 but these must not now be mistaken for the numbers 

 that are received from decoys, and said to be killed 

 m France and Holland. During the last winter 

 (1842-3) the pintail was in Edinburgh perhaps one 

 of the most abundant species next to the widgeon, 

 and all from the sources we have noticed. Of its ha- 

 bits we know comparatively little from observation 

 in this country. Mr. Selby states, that in confine- 

 ment it becomes soon tame, but does not breed, 

 or at least rarely, which we rather attribute to other 

 circumstances; and the same thing has been ob- 

 served of the birds in the Zoological Society, though 

 the males periodically undergo the change to the 

 duck-like plumage that we noticed as occurring in 

 the mallard. A hybrid progeny between this spe- 

 cies and the widgeon has been obtained, and we 

 may mention here, that we have seen a hybrid be- 

 tween it and the mallard purchased from a poulterer 

 in Dumfries, who procured it in a wild state ; this 

 bird is now in the collection of W. T. Carruthers, 

 Esq. of Dormont. It combined the resemblance of 

 the form and plumage of the pintail, but with a few 

 minor differences; the curled feathers of the tail 

 were completely developed, as much so as in an 

 adult mallard. We have since also received a draw- 

 ing of a bird also procured wild, by the attention 

 of Col. H. Smith, which exhibits a mixed plumage, 

 and is considered a hybrid bird. 



It is generally distributed in Europe, becoming 



