306 PINTAIL DUCK. 



The Pintail Duck is twenty-six inches in length, and two feet 

 ten inches in extent; the bill is a dusky lead colour; irides dark 

 hazel; head and half of the neck pale brown, each side of the 

 neck marked with a band of purple violet, bordering the white, 

 hind part of the upper half of the neck black, bordered on each 

 side by a stripe of white, which spreads over the lower part of 

 the neck before; sides of the breast and upper part of the back 

 white, thickly and elegantly marked with transverse undulating 

 lines of black, here and there tinged with pale buff; throat and 

 middle of the belly white tinged with cream; flanks finely pen- 

 cilled with waving lines, vent white, under tail coverts black; 

 lesser wing coverts brown ash, greater the same, tipt with 

 orange, below which is the speculum or beauty spot of rich 

 golden green bordered below with a band of black, and another 

 of white; primaries dusky brown; tertials long, black, edged 

 with white, and tinged with rust; rump and tail coverts pale ash 

 centered with dark brown; tail greatly pointed, the two middle 

 tapering feathers being full five inches longer than the others 

 and black, the rest brown ash edged with white; legs a pale lead 

 colour. 



The female has the crown of a dark brown colour; neck of a 

 dull brownish white, thickly speckled with dark brown; breast 

 and belly pale brownish white, interspersed with white; back 

 and root of the neck above black, each feather elegantly waved 

 with broad lines of brownish white, these wavings become ru- 

 fous on the scapulars; vent white, spotted with dark brown; tail 

 dark brown spotted with white; the two middle tail feathers 

 half an inch longer than the others. 



The Sprigtail is an elegantly formed, long bodied Duck, the 

 neck longer and more slender than most others. 



