PINTAIL 99 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the respec- 

 tive nuptial plumages. 



Immature, male and female. Resembles the female in 

 plumage. 



BEAK. Dull bluish-grey ; disproportionately long and 

 heavy, much expanded at the end, the sides of both seg- 

 ments being beset with long lamellae or bristles. 



FEET. Orange-red. 



IRIDES. Golden-yellow. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH 20'5 in. 



WING 10 



BEAK ... 2'8 



TABSO-METATABSUS ... ... 1'4 



EGG 2 X 1'4 in. 



Note. The beak of the nestling is proportionately 

 longer and more slender than that of the Mallard or 

 Gadwall, but when the Shoveler reaches the age of three 

 weeks, the beak further increases in length and breadth, 

 especially in the Drakes (Saunders). 



PINTAIL. Dafila acuta (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. v, 

 pi. 18; Dresser, 'Birds of Europe,' vol. vi, pis. 430 and 

 431 ; Lilford, ' Coloured Figures/ vol. vii, pi. 36. 



For elegance of form no British Duck surpasses the 

 Pintail. It rests buoyantly on the water, where it can be 

 identified among other Ducks by its slender build, long and 

 graceful neck, and pointed tail. The adult male is readily 

 recognised by a broad white stripe down either side of the 

 neck and also by the great length and tapering shape of 

 the middle tail-feathers ; the latter are conspicuous, being 

 raised off the surface of the water as the bird swims. 1 



The Pintail is for the most part a winter-visitor to our 

 Isles, and is found on inland as well as on tidal waters. 



1 The Pintail is sometimes called the Long-tailed Duck, owing to the 

 length of its tail. But the plumage of the two species is so utterly 

 different that they should not be confounded. 



