Periodical 
visitant. 
Food. 
312 NATATORES. QUERQUEDULA. PINTALL. 
Tue slender neck, pheasant-like tail, and superior light- 
ness of model in this Duck, have bestowed upon it an ap- 
pearance of elegance unknown to most of the other species. 
It is with us a regular winter visitant ; and considerable 
numbers are annually taken in the decoys of Lincolnshire, 
Norfolk, &. Mownracu says that it is most abundant in 
the north of England and Scotland, and especially in the 
Orkney Islands. This assertion, however, I must in part 
contradict, as the result of long observation tells me it is of 
rare occurrence in the northern counties of England; and 
the same may be said of the southern districts of Scotland, 
which Dr FLemine confirms in his History of British Ani- 
mals. With respect to the Orkneys, I cannot speak so 
confidently, although it appears probable, that what had 
been represented to him as the present species, was in fact 
the Long-tailed Duck (Havelda glacialis ), which is found 
in great numbers during the winter in the bays of this 
group of islands. The Pintail has a wide geographical 
range, being met with in all the northern parts of Europe, 
Asia, and America, and retires in the summer to breed in 
high latitudes. Its equatorial migration extends as far as 
Italy ; and during its periodical flight to the southward, it 
occurs abundantly in Holland, France, Germany, and other 
continental states. The marshes of the interior parts of the 
country, and fresh-water lakes, are its usual places of resort, 
being rarely found upon the sea-coast.—Its food consists of 
insects and their larvee, the seeds of aquatic plants, particu- 
larly of some species of E’pilobium, and vegetables. It is of 
a shy and timorous disposition; and in North America, 
where it is plentiful, often disappoints the wild-fowl shooter, 
by giving the signal to its numerous associates before he can 
advance within gunshot. Upon rising, when alarmed, the 
birds of this species cluster confusedly together, and (as 
Wrutson observes), if within distance, give the sportsman a 
fair opportunity of raking them advantageously. They sel- 
dom dive, seeming only when wounded to have recourse 
