OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 355 



Europe and along the great river valleys to winter in the basin of the Mediter- 

 ranean, Black, and Caspian Seas. It also passes Turkestan and Mongolia on 

 migration, and winters in Persia, India, Ceylon, Burmah, China, Borneo, and 

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

 and Centra] America as far south as Panama. 



Allied forms. — Dafila eatoni, an inhabitant of Kerguelen and probably 

 the Crozette Islands. It may be readily distinguished by its smaller size and by 

 the colour of the sides of the neck, the breast, and the abdomen, which in the 

 present species is grey ; in the Pintail these parts are white. 



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. It arrives 

 in its more southern breeding area 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, congre- 

 gating in thousands in favourite localities, 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. Hume states that in India 

 its favourite haunts are sheets of comparatively open water studded here and 

 there with patches of a long-leaved water plant (Sagittaria), 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 considerably, even at long range. The Pintail swims well and looks 

 remarkably graceful in the water, but it is not known to dive much when 

 wounded ; on the ground it walks freely, usually with long neck outstretched and 

 tail raised. Pintail feed at night principally, and towards sunset may be observed 

 in the shallows, with the fore half of their bodies entirely submerged and their 

 long tails bent downwards parallel to the water. One or two birds of the flock 

 are generally on the look-out for approaching danger whilst their comrades are so 

 searching for food. Sometimes stubbles and grass fields are resorted to for the 

 purpose of feeding, and mud-flats, as soon as they are left bare, or nearly so, are 

 frequented. The food of the Pintail consists of grass and the leaves and shoots 



