DIRECTORY TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 129 



g. Sprig-tailed Ducks. Dafila. 



Larger ducks with long necks, elongated and narrowed 

 central tail feathers and rather narrow bills which are but 

 slightly narrowed at tip. 



1. PINTAIL, D. ACUTA. 25.00; bill, 2.00; speculum, 

 greenish with a violet iridescence; head, neck and back 

 brown, the latter finely banded with white ; two lines of white 

 extend down sides of neck to back with a patch of black be- 

 tween and join the white of the lower parts ; wing coverts 

 ashy-brown, the greater tipped with reddish; bill, blackish* 

 feet, brown. Female; speculum, gray; above, dark-brown 

 banded, streaked and spotted with yellowish-white and ruf- 

 ous ; beneath, yellowish-white spotted on throat, neck and 

 under tail coverts with dusky ; white wing-band in both sex- 

 es. Northern hemisphere ; in N. A. breeds north of the U. S. ; 

 migrates south in Sep., Oct. and Nov. to winter from the Gulf 

 States south to Panama when it is very abundant in Fla. fre- 

 quenting the salt estuaries of the coasts and fre'sh waters of 

 the interior ; comes north in March ; not common on the At- 

 lantic coast north of Georgia. Nest, placed on the ground ; 

 eggs, 6 to 10, greenish-brown. 



h. Arboreal IHicks. Aix. 



Medium-sized ducks with conspicuous markings and 

 crested heads, which inhabit fresh waters. All of the species 

 are beautiful. 



1. WOOD DUCK, A. SPONSA. 18.00; bill, 1.35.; head, 

 green brightest on top, Fig. 150. 



line over eye, one be. 

 hind it, throat running 

 upward in a triangular 

 patch, ring around 

 neck, and beneath, 

 white ; above, brown 

 much glossed with 

 greenish; breast 

 chestnut spotted with 

 white; sides, buff fine- 

 ly banded with black 



