134 ANATID^E. 



350. DAFILA SPINICAUDA (Vieill.). 

 (BROWN PINTAIL.) 



Anas spinicauda, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 515 (Parana). Anas oxyura, 

 Burm. ibid. (Mendoza). Dafila spinicauda, Scl. P. Z. 8. 1870, p. 666, 

 pi. xxxviii.j Scl et Salv. Nomencl. p. 130; iid. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 146 (Buenos 

 A) res), 1869, p. 157, et 1876, p. 392 j Dumford, Ibis, 1878, p. 64 (Buenos 

 Ayres) et p. 401 (Patagonia) ; White, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 42 (Buenos Ayres) ; 

 Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 274 (Entrerios). 



Desertion. Above brown ; feathers black in the centre and margined with 

 brown ; head above bright rufous spotted with black ; wings brown, with a 

 large speculum of bronzy black, distinctly margined above and below with buff: 

 beneath, throat dirty white, sparingly spotted with black ; breast, flanks, and 

 crissum tinged with rufous, the feathers with black centres ; belly white, in the 

 lower portion slightly varied with brown ; bill black, at the base yellow ; feet 

 plumbeous : whole length 19*0 inches, wing 9'7, tail 5'5. Female similar. 



Hab. Southern Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Chili, and 

 Patagonia. 



The Brown Pintail is the commonest Duck in the Argentine Republic, 

 and unites in the largest flocks. It is also, according to Philippi and 

 Landbeck, the commonest species in Chili. It ranges from South 

 Brazil and Peru to the Magellan Straits and the Falklands ; but is 

 probably most abundant in the Plata district and in North Patagonia. 

 In the autumn it sometimes visits the pampas in immense numbers, to 

 feed on the seed of the giant thistle (Carduus mariana) ; and on these 

 occasions I have known as many as sixty killed at one shot. The 

 birds, however, soon become wary when feeding on the open plains in 

 large flocks, and it then becomes impossible to approach them without 

 a trained horse. The Ducks pay no attention to horses and cattle 

 browsing near them ; and the trained animal, with the gunner con- 

 cealing his gun and person behind it, feeds quietly along, and gradually 

 approaches the flock until within range. In the valley of the Rio 

 Negro, in Patagonia, the Pintails sometimes cause serious damage to 

 the farmers, coming up in clouds from the river by night to devour the 

 ripe grain. 



In favourable seasons the Pintail is a resident ; but like the marsh- 

 gulls, pigeons, the American golden plover, and all birds that live and 

 move in immense bodies, it travels often and far in search of food or 

 water. A season of scarcity will quickly cause them to disappear from 

 the pampas ; and sometimes, after an absence of several months, a 

 day's rain will end with the familiar sound of their cry and the sight 

 of their long trains winging their way across the darkening heavens. 



Their nest is made on the ground, under the grass or thistles, at a 

 distance from the water, and is plentifully lined with down plucked 



