The True Ducks. 227 



In the spring the male indicates his softer 

 passions by suddenly raising his body 

 upright in the water, and bringing his 

 bill close to his breast, uttering at the 

 same time a soft note. This gesticula- 

 tion is frequently followed by a singular 

 jerk of the hinder part of the body, 

 which in turn is thrown up above the 

 water." 



Mr. Seebohm thus describes the habits 

 of this Duck : " The long neck and long 

 pointed tail give to the Pin-tail a some- 

 what more slender appearance than that 

 of most of its kind. It belongs to the 

 fresh-water group of Ducks, breeding in 

 the midst of moors, lakes, rivers, and 

 swamps ; but on migration and in winter 

 spending most of its time on the sea- 

 shore, to feed on the mud-flats at low 

 tide. It is one of the earliest Ducks to 

 arrive in spring, and one of the latest 

 to leave in autumn. ... In" its habits 

 it most closely resembles the Mallard, 

 feeding, like the other fresh-water Ducks, 

 on insects and mollusks, and partly on 

 the ends of grass and the buds of water- 

 plants ; but, like the Mallard, it frequents 

 the stubble-fields in autumn to pick up 

 the fallen grain. Its voice closely re- 

 sembles that of the Mallard and Shoveller, 



