56 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



feet, dusky slate. The male in summer has the breast 

 and upper belly black, and upper surface black and white 

 with no gray tints; female duller than male. The nest is 

 built on the ground, near water, under low bushes or in 

 tall grass; it is made of grass and lined with down. The 

 eggs are from six to twelve in number, of a bluish 

 white with dark slate spots and two by one and 

 one-half inches in size. It breeds in the far north 

 and during the winter goes as far south as Chesa- 

 peake bay; it arrives in New Jersey late in Octo- 

 ber and remains until the middle of April, being 

 abundant along the coast and occasionally found in the 

 rivers It is a very noisy duck, having a sonorous musical 

 voice, its cry resembling " South Southerly," from which 

 one of it names is derived. It is not particular as to its 

 food, frequents the salt water and is seldom found far 

 from the sea. On account of its devouring so many fish 

 its flesh lias a fishy taste. 



Muck. Pintail^ or Sprigtail. Length, about thirty 

 inches, somewhat depending on the length of the tail, 

 which varies; extent, three feet; bill, two inches; head, 

 brown; also the back of the neck, except two white lines 

 which run up to the back of the head; breast, white; 

 back, belly and sides, white, with fine wavy lines of black ; 

 tail, long, very much pointed, black and gray; wings, 

 gray, inner feathers long and pointed, black with buff 

 edges, spot on wing glossy green; legs and feet, lead. 

 The female presents a somewhat more mottled appearance, 

 the breast being yellowish, the back dark slate, the tail 

 shorter and dark brown with white spots. The nest is 

 built on the ground, near water, of grasses and weeds. 

 The eggs are from six to twelve in number, of a yellowish 

 or bluish white, two and one-fifth by one and one -half 

 inches in size. Its breeding location is in the northern 

 United States and northward and in the winter it goes as 

 far south as Cuba and Panamai It is transient in New 



