THE AMERICAN PINTAIL. 207 



shaded with green; the nest being composed of dry 

 grass and lined with down from her own breast. 



The head, and upper part of the neck are a speckled 

 brown, the lower part and breast darker, thickly marked 

 with semicircles of light grey. The back and sides are 

 grey, covered with undulating lines; the smaller wing- 

 coverts are chestnut, and the speculum black and white; 

 tail-coverts greenish black, and tail grey. The bill is 

 dusky and the legs and feet orange. In the female the 

 colours are darker, and the brown more predominant. 



The American Pintail {Dafila acuta) is remarkable 

 for its flavour and excellence, being even superior in 

 these respects to the much -esteemed Pintail which in 

 winter visits our own coasts and inland waters, though 

 in most other points the two appear to be very similar. 



The American Pintail is a handsomely-shaped duck, 

 of a medium size, weighing about two pounds ; the body 

 is much elongated, and the neck unusually tapering. 

 The head is brown ; the back of the neck, which is nearly 

 black, being tinged with purple. The back is pencilled 

 over with wavy black lines ; the front of the neck, the 

 breast, and belly are white, and the wings brown, with 

 a green spot or speculum. The tail is long and pointed, 

 and is remarkable for two projecting black feathers, whence 

 the origin of the bird's name ; the rest are greyish brown. 

 The bill is slate colour, and the legs and feet dusky. 



