537 



the water it is a very graceful bird, owing to its slight and neat figure, and it swims very easily 

 and high out of the water, the neck being carried more like that of the Swan. Though a fresh- 

 water duck, it may often be met with during the breeding-season off the coast ; and I have met 

 with it breeding on the islands in the Gulf of Bothnia. It feeds on all sorts of water-plants, 

 seeds, tender shoots, and roots, insects and their larvae, and in general resembles the Mallard in 

 the nature of its food. The note of the Pintail is soft, and not so highly pitched as the quack of 

 most of the fresh-water ducks, nor is it so noisy as many of them, being, on the contrary, rather 

 a silent bird than otherwise. Montagu describes its notes as being " extremely soft and inward ; 

 the courting-note is always attended with a jerk of the head ; the other greatly resembles that of 

 a very young kitten. In the spring the male indicates his softer passions by suddenly raising 

 the body upright in the water, and bringing his bill close to his breast, uttering at the same time 

 a soft note. This gesticulation is frequently followed by a singular jerk of the hinder part of the 

 body, which in turn is thrown up above the water." It breeds rather later than the Mallard, as 

 a rule ; but I have obtained the eggs of the two species in Finland almost equally early. The 

 nest is a mere depression in the soil, often under the shelter of a bush, usually not far from the 

 water, and is lined with small flags or grass-bents ; and, within those, down and feathers form a 

 soft bed on which the eggs are deposited. These latter, usually from seven to nine in number, 

 are coloured like those of the Mallard, but are more elongated in shape, and smaller in size. 

 Eggs obtained by me in Finland average 2 inches by lj inch ; and others, also in my collection, 

 from Jutland, measure 2-^j- by l^f inch. 



The specimens figured are, on the one Plate a male in full spring plumage, obtained in 

 Leadenhall Market, and one, in the summer dress, from Archangel ; and on the second Plate a 

 female from Hakodadi, and young in down from Archangel, — all being in my own collection, and 

 being also the specimens described. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mm. H. E. Dresser. 



a, $ ad. Leadenhall Market, b, <$ ad. Archangel, July 31st, 1869 (Meves). c, $ . Hakodadi, Japan, October 

 loth, 1865 (Whitely). d,2- Koshkonong Lake, Wisconsin, U. S., April 5th, 1871 {Dr. Brewer). e,pullus. 

 Cholopyain-Ost, June 23rd, 1872 [Alston and Harvie Brown) . 



E Mus. J. H. Gurney,jun. 



a, s . Leadenhall Market, March 19th, 1867; b, d. Teesmouth (summer plumage); c, ?. Liverpool Market, 

 January 30th, 1867 (/. H. G.). 



3b 



