THE PINTAIL 313 
average duck can hope to attain, for estimates 
give both birds credit for ability to make ninety 
miles an hour! 
Shy and cautious in the extreme, the Pintails 
are seldom caught napping, and seem to have 
but one failing in their tactics: They are apt 
to become confused if suddenly alarmed, when 
the flock bunches closely as they jump straight 
up into the air, leaping from earth or water as 
though thrown up by a powder blast, just as the 
black duck does when it starts up from the 
marsh in a hurry. This is the one time when 
the Pintail is ungraceful, with his long neck 
cork-screwing and almost tying itself into knots 
in his excitement. If wounded it is a very skill- 
ful skulker, and while not a great submarine 
navigator, can, by partially immersing its body 
and laying its long neck down on the water, the 
tactics of a wounded goose, disclaim any inten- 
tion of attracting unnecessary notice to its 
movements. It is wary about coming to decoys 
and usually makes several circuits of the neigh- 
borhood in search of the reason for the tolers’ 
presence before trusting them implicitly. In 
fact, since good company always benefits, the 
