RIVER AND POND DUCKS 197 



143. Dafila acuta (Linn.}. PINTAIL. Ad. cf. Head and throat olive- 

 brown; back of neck blackish, bordered by white stripes, which pass to 

 breast; breast and belly white; the abdomen faintly and sides strongly 

 marked with wavy lines of black and white; back somewhat darker than 

 sides; scapulars black, bordered or streaked with buffy white; wing-coverts 

 brownish gray, greater ones tipped with rufous; speculum green; central 

 tail-feathers glossed with green and much elongated. Ad. 9 . Throat white 

 or whitish, crown and sides of head streaked with blackish and buffy ochra- 

 ceous, darker above; breast washed with buffy ochraceous and spotted with 

 blackish; belly white; abdomen more or less indistinctly mottled with 

 blackish; sides with bars and lengthened black and white crescents; under 

 wing-coverts fuscous, bordered with whitish; axillars barred or mottled with 

 black; back fuscous, the feathers with borders, bars, or crescents of white or 

 buffy; speculum grayish brown bordered with white. Im. The im <? is 

 variously intermediate between the ad. <? and 9 ; the im. 9 resembles the ad. 

 9, but the underparts are more heavily streaked or spotted. L., <?, 28'00, 

 9, 22-00; W., lO'OO; T., d% 7'50, 9, 3'60; B., 2'00. 



Remarks. The female of this species is a rather obscure-looking bird, 

 but may always be known by its broad, sharply pointed central tail-feathers 

 and dusky under wing-coverts. 



Range. N. Hemisphere. In N. Am. breeds on the Arctic coast from 

 Alaska to Keewatin and s. to s. Calif., s. Colo., n. Nebr., n. Iowa, and n. Ills.; 

 winters from s. B. C., Nev., Ariz., s. Mo., s. Wise., s. Ohio, Pa. (rarely), and 

 Del., s. to Porto Rico and Panama, and in Hawaii; in migration occasional 

 on the Atlantic coast to n. Ungava, Greenland, and N. F., and in Bermuda. 



Washington, W. V., 'Sept. 13-Apl. 1. Long Island, common T. V., 

 Sept. 15-Apl. 15; a few winter (Dutcher). Ossining, common T. V., 

 Mch. 15-Apl. 10; Sept. 26-Dec. 4. Cambridge, rather rare T. V., Apl.; 

 Oct.-Dec. N. Ohio, common T. V., Mch. 1-Apl. 7; Sept. 20-Dec. 1. Glen 

 Ellyn, irregular, Mch. 19-Apl. 17. SE. Minn., common T. V., Mch. 3. 



Nest, on the ground, often but little concealed, sometimes near to, at 

 others far from water. Eggs, 8-10, pale olive-green or olive-buff, 2'20 x 1*50. 

 Date, Minor Co., S. D, May 7. 



"Its note is seldom heard by day, but while coming into the feeding- 

 grounds at night with the Widgeons, Black Ducks and Mallards, the 

 hoarse, muffled quack of the duck and the mellow whistle of the drake 

 are heard mingled with the whistling of the Widgeon and the loud 

 calls of the Black Duck. In the springtime the drake often gives utter- 

 ance to low, soft notes which seem to flow from deep down in the throat, 

 especially while performing curious courting antics in the presence of 

 the ducks." (Eaton.) The Pintail's long, slender neck, and in the male 

 the long tail-feathers, are good field-marks. 



144. Aix sppnsa (Linn.). WOOD DUCK. Ad. <?. A line from bill over 

 eye, a similar line at base of side of crest, and some of elongated crest- 

 feathers white; throat, a band from it up side of head, and a wider one to 

 nape, white; rest of cheeks and crown green with purplish reflections; a 

 white band in front of wings; breast and a spot at either side of the base of 

 the tail purplish chestnut, the former spotted with white; belly white; 

 sides buffy ochraceous, finely barred with black, longer flank feathers tipped 

 with wider bars of black and white; back greenish brown; scapulars blacker; 

 speculum steel-blue; p-.imaries tipped with greenish blue. Ad. 9. Throat 

 and a stripe from the eye backward white; crown purplish brown; sides of 

 the head ashy brown; breast and sides grayish brown streaked with buffy; 

 belly white; back olive-brown glossed with greenish; inner primaries tipped 

 with greenish blue. Im. The im. <? resembles the 9. L., 18'50; W., 9*00; 

 Tar., 1-35; B., 1'30. 



