CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 89 



LII. DAPILA Stephens. 1824. 

 143. Pintail. Springtail. 



Dafila acuta (Linn.) Bonap. 1838. 



Very rare in Newfoundland; more common in Nova Scotia, and 

 Chamberlain reports a few breeding in New Brunswick. It has 

 been taken in Davis strait and at York Factory, Hudson bay. 

 Spreadborough found it breeding on both sides of James bay and 

 in thousands along the west coast of the bay in August, chiefly 

 north of Albany. It is not a rare migrant in Quebec and Ontario, 

 and according to Saunders a few breed on St. Clair flats. 



This species breeds in numbers throughout the Northwest Terri- 

 tories from lat. 49° to the Arctic coast. Richardson and Macfarlane 

 both speak of its abundance on the Barren Grounds. Preble saw 

 hundreds on the shallow ponds of the Barren Grounds, 50 miles 

 below Cape Eskimo. Nelson and Turner say that this is the com- 

 monest duck in Alaska, and Murdoch reports it breeding quite close 

 to Point Barrow on the Arctic sea. It is a resident in British Colum- 

 bia and breeds on the mainland. Fannin says they congregate in 

 great flocks in some localities on the coast in winter, but more 

 especially on the lower Fraser. Brooks found it to be a scarce breeder 

 at 150-mile House, Cariboo, B.C. 



Breeding Notes. — ^This species breeds at St. Clair flats and in 

 fewer numbers at Rondeau, Lake Erie. {W. Saunders.) Breeding 

 commonly in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It seldom lays more 

 than nine eggs and nests in similar situations to the shoveller. Its 

 eggs can be distinguished from those of the shoveller by their larger 

 size. Two clutches of nine eggs each are in my collection taken at 

 Rush lake, Sask., May 25th and 28th, 1893. Both nests were in 

 hollows in the grass, were hned with down and found near water. 

 (^Raine.) 



This is about the first water-fowl to commence nesting. The date 

 when the first eggs are laid varies from May i8th to 25th, according 

 to the season. 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 twelve in 

 a set. They are rather small, and usually pale olive-green when 



