BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 103 



Season. — Very rare in spring; late February to April. Uncommon or rare 

 in fall; early September to December. Very rarely winters. 



Range. — ■ Northern hemisphere. In North America breeds on the Arctic 

 coast from Alaska to Keewatin and south to southern California, 

 southern Colorado, northern Nebraska, northern Iowa 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. 



History. 



The Pintail is a large Duck of slim and graceful form. 

 The striking colors of the male make his identification easy, 

 but the female resembles somewhat the same sex of the Bald- 

 pate or the Gadwall. The females and young of the Gadwall, 

 Baldpate and Pintail are all commonly called Gray Ducks. 



The Pintail is no longer common in Massachusetts, where 

 it is known mainly as a fall migrant. It usually appears in 

 small parties, in pairs or singly, during late September or 

 October. 



The following notes indicate its former status and its 

 decrease: More common in interior than along the coast 

 (De Kay, 1844). Pretty common on our shores (Samuels, 

 1870). Rare winter resident on coast (Maynard, 1870). 

 Uncommon transient, especially in spring; have seen this 

 bird only once in Essex County (Townsend, 1905). Observ- 

 ers, representing all Massachusetts counties except Berkshire 

 and Hampshire, report as follows: increasing, six; decreasing, 

 thirty. Most of the reports come from the coast counties, 

 and five of the six recording increase come from those coun- 

 ties; but the great majority of reports indicate that a consid- 

 erable decrease in the species in Massachusetts has occurred 

 within the thirty years prior to 1909, and that it is becoming 

 rare except in localities on or near the coast and on the Con- 

 necticut River. 



Mr. Alfred S. Swan states that at North Eastham the 

 bird is practically gone, " gunned to death." He is told that 

 forty years ago it was abundant. Rev. E. E. Phillips has but 



