CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 89 
LIT. DAFILA SrTepHENS. 1824. 
148. Pintail. Springtail. 
Dafila acuta (LINN.) BONAP. 1838. 
Very rare in Newfoundland; more common in Nova Scotia, and 
Chamberlain reports a few breeding in New Brunswick. It has 
been taken in Davis strait and at York Factory, Hudson bay. 
Spreadborough found it breeding on both sides of James bay and 
in thousands along the west coast of the bay in August, chiefly 
north of Albany. It is not a rare migrant in Quebec and Ontario, 
and according to Saunders a few breed on St. Clair flats. 
This species breeds in numbers throughout the Northwest Terri- 
tories from lat. 49° to the Arctic coast. Richardson and Macfarlane 
both speak of its abundance on the Barren Grounds. Preble saw 
hundreds on the shallow ponds of the Barren Grounds, 50 miles 
below Cape Eskimo. Nelson and Turner say that this is the com- 
monest duck in Alaska, and Murdoch reports it breeding quite close 
to Point Barrow on the Arctic sea. It is a resident in British Colum- 
bia and breeds on the mainland. Fannin says they congregate in 
great flocks in some localities on the coast in winter, but more 
especially on the lower Fraser. Brooks found it to be a scarce breeder 
at 150-mile House, Cariboo, B.C. 
BREEDING NoTEs.—This species breeds at St. Clair flats and in 
fewer numbers at Rondeau, Lake Erie. (W. Saunders.) Breeding 
commonly in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It seldom lays more 
than nine eggs and nests in similar situations to the shoveller. Its 
eggs can be distinguished from those of the shoveller by their larger 
size. Two clutches of nine eggs each are in my collection taken at 
Rush lake, Sask., May 25th and 28th, 1893. Both nests were in 
hollows in the grass, were lined with down and found near water. 
(Razne.) 
This is about the first water-fowl to commence nesting. The date 
when the first eggs are laid varies from May 18th to 25th, according 
to the season. The eggs are placed in a depression on some tussock 
or among the grass and other vegetation beside a pool, usually where 
it is pretty well concealed. The eggs number from six to twelve in 
a set. They are rather small, and usually pale olive-green when 
