KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 223 
Adult female: Head and neck mottled and streaked with pale brown and dark brown or 
black; under parts brownish, mottled and spotted with fuscous, scarcely showing on the middle 
of the belly ; speculum and wing coverts as in the male. i 
Length, 19.50; Wing, 9.50; Bill, 2.60; Tarsus, 1.50. 
The immature male is often intermediate in plumage between the adult male and female, but 
the speculum shows but little green and the wing coverts are slaty gray. The head is often very 
much mottled when changing to adult plumage. 
(Female.) 
This species ranges throughout the Northern Hemisphere, commonly in 
the interior. It breeds from Minnesota northward as a rule; there is no 
record of its breeding in the Atlantic States. 
Ranges in winter to South America, being one of the common species in 
Florida during the winter months. The eggs are pale buff white, usually 
from six to ten in number. The note of the male is a gutteral short «¢ Thuck 
thuck”; the female ‘* quacks.” 
Genus DAFILA STEPHENS. 
DAFILA ACUTA (Zizz.). 
Pintail. Sprigtail. 
Adult male; Bill black having the edges lead color; head and neck dark rufous brown 
sometimes showing a faint gloss of green on the feathers; sides of the neck showing a stripe of 
white and a stripe of black extending down the back of the neck; under parts white showing 
faint wavy fine lines of dusky on the sides; crissum black edged with white; central tail 
feathers very much elongated in the male; feet lead color. 
Length, 28; Wing, 9.50; Tail, 7; Bill, 2. 
