70 XATUEAL HISTOEY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



Along the Yukon, Dall found them very abundant, and noted their arrival at Nulato about 

 May 1. There they began nesting about May 20, placing their eggs in the sedge and lining the 

 nest ■with dry grass and feathers, and, as is a common habit with water-fowl, covering the eggs with 

 leathers and grass when leaving them unprotected. 



As the young are hatched they are led to the small creeks and rivulets, where the birds remain 

 until the young take wing, after which all pass to the great marshes, where they grow fat feeding 

 upon the roots of the horsetails {Bquisetum). I take the preceding from Mr. Ball's paper, as it shows 

 several differences between the bird's habits in the interior as compared with the same on the sea- 

 coast, where my observations were made. 



As the numerous ponds on the marshes open about the middle of May, the flocks in which the 

 Pintails have thus far kept company disband, and the birds scatter over the country. They are 

 shy at this season, but while lying in a blind in the midst of their haunts, I have witnessed many 

 of their odd habits. 



With the exception of the Old Squaw Duck [Marelda], the habits of the Pintail are more peculiar 

 than those of any of the ducks I am familiar with breeding in the region. Once, on May 17, while 

 sitting overlooking a series of small ponds, a pair of Pintails arose' and started off', the male in full 

 ■chase" after the female. Back and forth they passed at a marvelously swift rate of speed, with fre- 

 quent quick turns and evolutions. At one moment they were almost out of view high overhead, and 

 the next saw them skimming along the ground in an involved course very difficult to follow with the 

 eye. Ere long a second male joined in the chase, then a third, and so on until six males vied with 

 each other in the pursuit. The original pursuer appeared to be the only one capable of keeping 

 close to the coy female, and owing to her dextrous turns and curves he was able to draw near only at 

 intervals. Whenever he did succeed he always passed under the female, and kept so close to her that 

 their wings clattered together with a noise like a watchman's rattle, and audible a long distance. 

 This chase lasted half an hour, and after five of the pursuers had dropped off one by one the pair 

 remaining (and I think the male was the same that originated the pursuit) settled in one of the 

 ponds. 



This is about the first of the water-fowl to commence nesting, The date when the first eggs 

 are laid varies from May 18 to 25, according to the season. As a consequence the young are . 

 hatched early in June and are on the wing early in August, before any of the other species. The 

 eggs are placed in a depression on some tussock or among the grass and other vegetation beside 

 a pool, usually where it is pretty well concealed. The eggs number from six to a dozen in a set. 

 They are rather small, and are usually pale olive-green when fresh. The nest is lined with 

 grass-stems and feathers. When the young are hatched the parents lead them to the adjacent 

 pool, and they keep in the most secluded parts of the marsh until able to take wing. In fall the 

 Pintails 'feed upon the various berries growing on the hill-sides until they become extremely fat, 

 and a young bird at this season is the most delicious of the water-fowl found in the north. 



In spring, during the mating season, it is common to see a female Pintail accompanied by two 

 males. After repeated observations I was led to believe the females of this species to be polyan- 

 drous to a certain extent. On one occasion a female was seen flying along preceded by two males. 

 Every few rods the former halted slightly, aud drawing her head back uttered a sonorous nasal 

 " quack," as if to encourage her escort. It is also common to see a female, when pursued by 

 several males, plunge under water at full speed followed by her pursuers, and all suddenly take 

 wing again from the water a few yards beyond. The Old Squaw Duck is the only other species 

 I have seen do this. 



In summer the Pintail has a low mellow whistle, which is used as a call to its mate, in addition 

 to a loud "quack," much like but less sonorous than that of the Mallard. They have also a harsh 

 rolling note, which may be imitated by rolling the end of the tongue with the mouth ready to utter 

 the sound of "K." 



During the mating season they have a habit of descending from a great altitude at an angle of 

 about 45 degrees, with their wings stiffly outspread and slightly decurved downward. They are fre- 

 quently so high that I have heard the noise produced by their passage through the air from fifteen to 

 twenty seconds before the bird came in sight. They descend with meteor-like swiftness until within 

 a few yards of the ground, when a slight change in the position of the wings sends the bird gliding 



