SHOAL-WATER DUCKS. 205 



Dajila acuta. — Lian. Pin-tail. Sprigs-tail. Sharp-tail. Water Pheasant. 



Color ; head and upper neck dark brown with green and purple 

 gloss, sides of neck with along white stripe ; lower neck and under- 

 parts white, dorsal line of neck black, passing into the grey of the 

 back, which, like the sides, is vermiculated with black. Tail, when 

 fully developed with the central feathers much projecting and nearly 

 equaling the wing in length, bill black, feet greyish-blue. 



The Pin-tail Duck is everywhere abundant in the United States, 

 excepting in the eastern districts where their favorite food is inac- 

 cessible to them. It is a freshwater species, although occasionally 

 secured in the creeks and bayous of the coast. They move in very 

 large flocks, and seem much the most abundant in the spring season, 

 associating with the Mallard, and often seeming to travel and feed 

 with the same flock for days. They are exceedingly fond of beech- 

 mast ; but in spring generally resort to partially submerged corn- 

 fields where food of various kinds is plenty. 



The flight of the Sprig-tail is much more rapid than that of the 

 Mallard, and resembles in its quick darting and wheeling motions, 

 that of the ubiquitous Old Squaw or Long-tailed duck of the 

 eastern coasts, Harelda glacialis. They are, perhaps, the most 

 graceful of the whole duck tribe. They are secured in the same 

 situations and by the same means as those employed in Mallard 

 shooting. The Pin-tail, or Pheasant, as he is called in New 

 England, was formerly quite abundant on the Connecticut 

 coast, but of late years, for some unexplained reason, they have 

 almost entirely disappeared. Sprig - tails are very plenty in 

 California. ^ 



Chaulelasmus stre^erus.—Grncy. Gadwall. Gray Duck. 



The color of the Gadwall is black and white, or whitish, the 

 plumage being barred or half-ringed with these two colors, middle 

 wing coverts chestnut, greater coverts black, speculum white, feet 

 orange-yellow, bill bluish black, weight about two pounds. 



The Gadwall is a duck not familiar to Eastern sportsmen, and not 

 often met with on the coast. It inhabits rather the central and in- 

 land sections of the country. Gadwalls are classed as a table bird, 

 with the Mallard and Redhead, and indeed in habit they much re- 

 semble the form&, although perhaps bearing a still nearer affinity to 



