GAME BTRDS AND WILD FOWL. 373 



cally the whole of that country south of lat. 70°. Passes down 

 the coasts of Europe and along the great river valleys to winter 

 in the basin of the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas. It 

 also passes Turkestan and Mongolia on migration, and winters in 

 Persia, India, Ceylon, Burma, China, Borneo, and Japan. In the 

 New World it winters in all the Southern States, and in Mexico 

 and Central America as far south as Panama. 



Allied Forms. — None of sufficient propinquity to demand 

 notice. 



Time during which the Pintail Duck may be taken. — 

 August I St to March ist; otherwise by authority of owner or 

 occupier of land. 



Habits. — The Pintail Duck appears everywhere to be a 

 migratory bird. It arrives at its summer quarters early in spring, 

 as soon as it can be sure of finding open water, and in like 

 manner lingers in them late in autumn. In its more southern 

 breeding area it arrives about the middle of March, and leaves in 

 October and November, but in the Arctic regions it makes its 

 appearance towards the end of May, when the ice on the great 

 northern rivers is just breaking up. Vast quantities of this Duck 

 were observed in the valley of the Petchora by Messrs. Seebohm 

 and Harvie-Brown, hundreds of thousands crowding the narrow 

 belt of open water on each side of the ice in the river, and filling 

 the air like swarms of bees. The Pintail is equally gregarious 

 at its winter quarters, congregating in thousands in favourite locali- 

 ties, and it has been remarked that in India some of these large 

 gatherings are composed entirely of males. Although this Duck 

 breeds near fresh water, in winter and on passage it frequents the 

 sea coast a good deal, as well as large inland sheets of water. In 

 India Hume states that its favourite haunts are sheets of compara- 

 tively open water studded here and there with patches of long- 

 leaved water plant {Sagiitarid), which grows to a height of several 

 inches above the surface, amongst which the bird can hide and sleep 

 in safety. The flight of the Pintail is very rapid, and the wings 

 make a peculiar swishing sound as they beat the air. It is always 

 a shy and wary bird, and almost invariably flies right away to 

 other haunts after being fired at once or twice. As they usually 

 sit close when on the water a punt gun often thins their ranks 



