196 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



This food consists chiefly of aquatic plants, grass, 

 insects, worms, molluscs, and crustaceans. This 

 Duck swims well and buoyantly, looking very 

 graceful on the water ; it rarely dives, even when 

 wounded ; whilst on the ground it walks with long 

 neck extended and tail raised. The Pintail flies 

 well and rapidly, the wings making a peculiar and 

 easily recognised swishing sound. 



The Pintail migrates northwards in flocks, and 

 reaches its Arctic breeding grounds as soon as the 

 ice begins to break up, crowding on the little pools 

 and narrow belt of open water, on the sides of the 

 rivers, and filling the air like swarms of bees. A 

 few pairs remain in the British Islands for the 

 summer. Swampy moors, and the banks of lakes 

 and ponds, are the favourite nesting-places of this 

 Duck. The nest, made upon the ground amongst 

 herbage, or under the shelter of a rock or bush, is 

 composed of dry grass, withered leaves, sedges, and 

 rushes, and lined copiously with down. The eggs 

 are from six to ten in number, and are pale buffish- 

 green, smooth, but lustreless. These are laid in 

 May. The Pintail is by no means a noisy bird ; a 

 low chattering may be heard from a flock whilst 

 feeding, a soft quack when the bird is alarmed ; 

 whilst the drake, during the season of courtship, 

 utters a deep clilk, preceded by a hiss, and followed 

 by a low grating note. Outside our islands the 

 Pintail has a very wide distribution, breeding in 

 the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions, and wintering 

 almost to the Equator. 



