DAFILA ACUTA (Bonar). 
THE PINTAIL: SPRIGTAIL. 
Specitic Characte.—Head and upper half of neck hair brown or grayish 
umber, the upper surface darker, often inclining to deep burnt umber; all the 
feathers appreciably darker centrally, producing an indistinctly and minutely 
speckled appearance. On each side of the occiput the brown has a distinctly 
metallic gloss of dull green, showing a faint purple reflection in some lights. 
Upper half of the nape opaque intense black, separated from the brown by an 
upward extension of the white of the lower neck nearly to the occiput. Stripe 
on each side of the nape as described above, lower half of the neck frontally and 
laterally, jugulum, breast and abdomen, immaculate white. Lower half of the 
nape with entire dorsal region and lateral lower parts finely waved with trans- 
verse rather zigzag lines of black and white of nearly equal width. Longer 
scapulars opaque, velvety black centrally, edged broadly with grayish white ; 
outer scapulars with exposed ends of their outer webs entirely velvety black. 
Tertials silvery ash witha medial stripe of intense velvety black. Speculum dull 
green varying to dull bronzy purple with a subterminal bar of velvety black and 
a tip of white. Wing coverts very uniform brownish gray, the last row broadly 
tipped with cinnamon rufous. Primaries dull slaty. Upper tail coverts with 
outer webs black ; inner ones grayish white; lower coverts deep opaque velvety 
black, the exterior row with their outer webs white ; post femoral space delicate 
cream colour. Tail feathers dark cinereous edged with white, the elongated 
middle pair uniform deep black. Bill, plumbeous blue; the uncui, base, and strip 
along the culmen, black ; iris, brown; feet, dusky. Female quite different, being 
of a general grayish colour and lacking the long central tail feathers. 
Total length about 26.00 inches; extent, 36.00; wing, 10.25; tail, 7.25; 
culmen, 1.85 to 2; tarsus, 1.55 ; middle toe, 2. 
Habitat—The whole of North America, Europe. Breeding chiefly far 
north; migrating south in winter as far as Panama. The distribution of the 
Pintail is quite as extensive as the Mallard, for besides being found throughout 
North America it is found in Europe, Asia, (Ceylon, China, etc.,) Africa. It is a 
migrant going to the far north in the spring to breed, laying eight or nine eggs 
asa setting. It is one of the handsomest of our ducks as well as one of the best 
for the table. It is quite abundant during the spring and fall migration in On- 
tario and a few pairs are said to breed at the St. Clair Flats. On account of its 
very swift flight it is considered one of the most difficult ducks to shoot. 
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