166 



AQUATIC FOWL. 



THB PINTAIL DUCK. 



appearance of the female, after the breeding season. The flesh is 

 of the finest flavour ; it weighs about two pounds. When in full 

 plumage, the head and throat of the male bird are dark hair 

 brown ; the lower part of the neck, and two streaks running up 

 to the hind part of the head, the breast, and under part white ; 

 back of the neck deep brown. Flanks and thighs with five 

 transverse black lines; under tail coverts velvet black. Back 

 marked with alternate varying lines of black and grayish white. 

 Scapulars black ; tertials long, acuminate, and black, with yel- 

 lowish white margins ; lesser wing coverts deep smoke gray ; 

 speculum, blackish green, with a bronzed reflection, bordered 

 below with white ; quills brown ; two middle tail feathers elon- 

 gated, acuminate, and black; the rest brown, margined with 

 white ; bill black ; legs blackish gray. 



THE TUFTED DUCK, OR TUFTED POUCHARD, 



Is a small, round, plump-bodied duck, weighing about twenty-five 

 ounces. In winter it is equally spread over the British Islands, 



