192 RIVER AND POND DUCKS 



some Pintail drake. Its slender 

 form, long, slim neck, pointed 

 wings, and elongated tail, all con- 

 tribute to make its great speed in 

 the air appear even faster than it 

 really is; its racy lines, as much as 

 the rapidity of its pace, have 

 earned it the name of greyhound 

 among ducks. Flocks have the 

 habit of descending from a great 

 altitude in a zigzagging, volplan- 

 ing rush. Nelson (1887) says: 

 "They descend with meteor-like 

 swiftness until within a few yards 

 of the ground, when a slight 

 change in the position of the wings sends the bird gliding away close to 

 the ground from 100 to 300 yards without a single wing stroke. The 

 sound produced by this swift passage through the air can only be com- 

 pared to the rushing of a gale through tree-tops. At first it is like a mur- 

 mur, then rising to a hiss, and then almost assuming the proportions of 

 a roar as the bird sweeps by." Not only speed but also endurance is 

 demonstrated by the flight of the Pintail. Numbers of these powerful 

 fliers migrate across the 2,000 mile stretch of ocean between their breed- 

 ing grounds in Alaska and the sunny shores of the Hawaiian Islands. 

 A flock of Pintails flying parallel to a train travelled at above 52 miles 

 an hour and another flock, when chased by an aeroplane, were timed 

 at about 65 miles an hour. These figures, however, do not disprove the 

 claim of some gunners that these birds travel at a rate upwards of 90 

 miles an hour, though if such a speed were ever reached it could only 

 be maintained over a short period. 



Being one of the earliest of migrants in the spring, the Pintail, as 

 might be expected, is an early breeder and on its western nesting grounds 

 it frequently commences laying in April and 

 broods are hatched by the beginning of June. 

 It often builds its nest farther from water than 

 any other duck but the site chosen is variable; 

 it may be found on the open prairie a mile 

 from the nearest water or again on the very 

 edge of a pond or slough, but always on dry 

 ground. The nest is usually a deep hollow, 

 scooped out of the ground, with a scanty lining 



of straw and down. The number of eggs varies from 6 to 12 but the usual 

 number is under 10. When first laid, the eggs are pale olive green to 

 very pale olive buff, and resemble those of the Mallard and the Shoveller, 

 averaging in size 2.16 by 1.50 inches. The period of incubation is 22 

 to 23 days and incubation is performed by the female alone, though the 

 male remains in close attendance until the moulting season commences. 

 Female Pintails are among the most courageous of all ducks in the 

 defense of their young and their demonstrations of parental solicitude 



