162 BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 



211. ANAS ACUTA, Linnaeus. Common Pintail. 



Provincial. Sea-pheasant. 



In severe winters this most beautiful and elegant 

 species is not uncommon in the Humber ; and Mr. 

 Boulton remarks*, specimens frequently find their 

 way into the Hull market with other Ducks shot by 

 the punt-men on the river. 



The Ashby decoy book records 278 Pintails as 

 taken in 35 years 54 of these in the winter of 1834- 

 35, and no less than the extraordinary number of 74 

 in that of 1839-40. 



Is mentioned in Mr. Alington's listf of the birds 

 occasionally resorting to Croxby pond on the North 

 Wolds. 



212. ANAS BOSCHAS, Linnaeus. Common Wild Duck. 

 Provincial. Mallard. (Common to both the male and female.) 

 Universally distributed throughout North Lincoln- 

 shire and Holderness, nesting on several private 

 waters. A few pairs also nest annually in the Hum- 

 ber marshes. They sometimes choose odd situations 

 for their nests : thus in 1870, in the Habrough 

 marshes, a pair nested on the roof of a bean-stack, 

 and in 1869 (probably the same pair) brought off" a 

 brood on the top of a straw-stack. The usual nesting- 

 place is on the ground in some clover- or corn-field, 

 and not far from a drain or stream. In thirty-five 



* Zoologist, 1865, p. 9595. 



t Naturalist, 'January 1852, p. 5. 



