214 ANATID^. 



albo terminatis, fascia Bubfcerminali nigra iastructis, intus brunneis ; secundariis intimis medialiter late 

 nigria, horum remige extimo extus nigro, intus albo marginato ; capita et collo superiore sordide brunneis, 

 hoc saturatiore ; occipitis lateribus purpurascente et viridi nitentibus ; occipite ipso nigro ; collo postico 

 brunnescenti-griseo, minute variegato ; collo imo et fascia colli superioris ntrinque albis, pectore 

 concoloribns ; corpora reliquo subtus albicante albo, abdomine minute brunneo vermiculato ; crisso et 

 subcaudalibus nigris, plumis extemis longioribus extus albis ; subalaribus grisescenfcibus albo vermiculatis ; 

 axUlaribus albis, rhachidibus pauUo brunneo variegatie : rostro nigricante, lat«raliter plumbeo ; pedibus 

 plnmbescenti-nigris J iride saturate brunnea. ' Long, tota circa 24-30, alae 11"0, caudas 7'3-9'5, 

 culm. 1-85-2-1, tarsi 1'6-1'8. (Descr. maris adulti ex Zaeatecaa. Mns. nostr.) 

 c? inptilosi vera cFstiva feminae adultae similis, sed speculum alare exhibens. 



5 . Supra saturate brunnea, plumis singulis paUide arenario vel fulvo limbatis vel irregnlariter fasciatis, pileo 



et coUo albicanti-f ulvis, nigro striolatis ; corpore subtus sordide albo, fusco indistincte variegato, corporis 

 lateribus et hypochondriis, abdomine et subcaudalibus brunneo striatis ; alis brunneis, tectricibus 

 minoribus et medianis albo terminatis, majoribus et secundariis latius albo terminatis, fasciam alarem 

 duplicem formantibus ; speculo alari brunnescenti-nigro ; subalaribus brunneisj albo terminatis ; 

 axUlaribus albis, brunneo fasciatis : rostro grisescenti-nigro, mandibula rufescenti-brunnea. Long, tota 

 circa 23*o, alae lO'l, caudae 5'0, culm. 2"1, tarsi 1-65. (Descr. feminae adultas ex Duenas. Mus. nostr.) 



6 juv. feminas adultae similis, sed speculum alare exhibens; pectore et gastraeo reliquo minute brunneo 



striatis. 



Eab. North America, breeding from the northern parts of the United States north- 

 ward 19. — Mexico {Wagler^), Cachuta, Sonora (Eobinette ^^), Mazatlan {Grayson^), 

 Zacatecas {Eichardson^^), Guanajuato, Guadalajara {Buges ^), Coahuayana 

 {Xantus 8), Valley of Mexico [Sumichrast ^^ Herrera ^^), Laguna del Mayoraz^o, 

 San Baltasar, Puebla {Ferrari-Perez i*), Jalapa, Vera Cruz {Salle ^) ; British 

 Honduras, Belize {O.S.'^^); Guatemala, Lake of Duenas {O.S.^^ 20) . Nicaragua, 

 Sucuya {Nutting i^) ; Costa Eica, San Jose {Calleja'' ^^), Cartago {v. Frantzius^% 

 Eio Escondido {Richmond i^) ; Panama {M'Leannan ^ «). — Gbeatee Antilles, 

 Cuba 20. — Northern Europe and Northern Asia, migrating in winter to North 

 Africa, the Indian Peninsula and Ceylon, China and Japan 20. 



B. acuta is found in the northern parts of both Hemispheres, breeding in the 

 Arctic and Subarctic Eegions, and visiting Central America in winter, where Grayson 

 says that the species is common in the neighbourhood of Mazatlan at this season ; 

 Salvin also noticed it at Belize in British Honduras in December ^. We found the 

 Pintail plentiful on the Lake of Duenas in Guatemala, whence it departed for the 

 north in March ^. Kennicott states that it migrates northward in immense flocks. 



In habits this bird much resembles the Mallard, and the food of both species is the 

 same ; it is, however, somewhat later in nesting than Anas boscas. The nest is 

 invariably found near water, and is usually placed on low dry ground, under the 

 shelter of trees and bushes, but never in grass-hummocks, and is composed of dry 

 grass and a few sticks, plentifully lined with down. The eggs are from six to nine in 

 number, of a pale green or greyish-green colour, almost white ^2. 



