OF VIRGINIA 25 
INTRODUCED BREEDER. 
GENUS DAFILA. 
[143]. Dafila acuta (Linnwus). Pintail. 
[Sprig-Tail. Sprig]. 
Raner.—Northern Hemisphere. Jn North America 
breeds on the Arctic Coast from Alaska to Keewatin and 
south to southern California, southern Colorado, northern 
Nebraska, northern Towa, and northern Illinois; winters 
from southern British Columbia, Nevada, Arizona, 
southern Missouri, southern Wisconsin, southern Ohio, 
Pennsylvania (rarely), and Delaware south to Porto Rico 
and Panama, and in Hawaii; in migration occasional on 
the Atlantic Coast to northern Ungava, Greenland, and 
Newfoundland, and in Bermuda. 
This abundant winter duck is not a regular breeder in 
its wild state in our area, the fall migration taking place 
the first part of October, while the northward or spring 
migration commences the middle of March. During the 
winter months, however, it is one of the most plentiful 
of the fresh-water ducks, selling in the Norfolk market 
for as low as 60c. a pair. It is truly a fresh-water duck, 
the upper rivers and inland ponds, Back Bay, and Curri- 
tuck Sound being its preference for feeding grounds, 
though a few occasionally are seen in the lower salt-water 
rivers and bays. It takes kindly to captivity, and birds 
were laying in my breeding yard within six weeks after 
arrival, notwithstanding they had come from far-distant 
