190 THE PINTAIL DUCK 



in many parts of England; a tolerable number remain to breed 

 with us, especially in the eastern counties. Its distaste for the sea 

 disqualifies it for inhabiting the Arctic Regions ; consequently it 

 breeds in temperate countries, and flies farther to the south in 

 winter, having been observed on both shores of the Mediterranean, 

 and in some of the warm parts of India. The extensive drainage 

 of our fens and marshes has made it less frequent in England than 

 it formerly was ; but in Holland and other continental countries it 

 is abundant. The nest, usually placed in a tuft of grass, is made of 

 dry grass mixed with down which the female plucks from her own 

 body, and contains eight or nine eggs. 



The Shoveler is not sufficiently common in this country to claim 

 any importance as an article of food, but its flesh is said to be superior 

 in flavour even to that of the famous Canvas-backed Duck of 

 America. 



The male annually undergoes a moult, or change of feathers, 

 similar to that described as taking place in the Mallard. 



THE PINTAIL DUCK 



DAFILA ACUTA 



Two central tail-feathers much elongated, black ; head and neck rich dark 

 brown ; back and flanks marked with zigzag black and grey lines ; front 

 of the neck, and a line on each side, white ; speculum lustrous with green 

 and purple, bounded above by reddish brown, below by white ; bill lead 

 colour and black. Female — central tail-feathers scarcely elongated ; 

 head and neck reddish brown speckled with dusky ; upper feathers dusky 

 edged with reddish white ; lower plumage reddish yellow spotted with 

 brown ; speculum dull yellowish brown ; no white line on the side of 

 the neck. Length twenty-six inches. Eggs dull greenish white. 



The Pintail Duck is a northern bird which visits our shores in small 

 parties, during severe winters, and it nests sometimes in Ireland. 

 In form it is the most elegant of all the Ducks, and its movements are 

 described as being active and graceful. I have never myself had 

 the good fortune to see one alive, the only specimen I ever possessed 

 having been sent to me from Newcastle-on-Tyne, near which it was 

 shot at sea. It is not, however, considered a very rare species, 

 as the fishermen on the Norfolk coast, and perhaps elsewhere, are 

 well acquainted with it. Yarrell states, that on the coast of Dorset- 

 shire and Hampshire it is so well known as to have acquired a local 

 name, ' Sea Pheasant '} For this it is indebted to the length of its 

 taU, in which respect it differs from aU the common Ducks. It 

 arrives early in autumn, and remains either on the coast or in the 

 inland marshes, until the return of spring ; differing, indeed, little 



1 Willughby calls it the ' Sea Pheasant ', or ' Cracker '. 



