ANAS ACUTA. TINTAIL DUCK, OR SPRIG TAIL 



This handsome-lookins; Duck is known to our Shooters in- 

 differently as the Pintail or Sprigtail. The latter appellation is 

 perhaps the most common. This Duck is abundant in England. 

 They frequent the fresh- water streams of almost every section of 

 our country, both inland and on the seaboard; they are not 

 very partial to salt water. Sprigtails are shy and vigilant ; 

 when aroused they fly confusedly together, so that the Shooter 

 has always a fine opportunity to rake the flpck when on the 

 wing. They remain with us all winter and breed in the North ; 

 their flesh is sweet and often delicious. 



DESCRIPTION. 



" The Pintail Duck is twenty-six inches in length, and two 

 feet ten inches in extent ; the bill is a dusky lead color ; irides 

 dark hazel ; head and a half of the neck pale brown, each side 

 of the neck marked with a band of purple violet, bordering the 

 white ; hind part of the upper half of the neck black, bordered 

 on each side by a stripe of white, which spreads over the lower 

 part of the neck before ; sides of the breast and upper part of 



