20 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS. 



Pintail. Dafila acuta. 



The pintail, or "sprig," is an abundant migrant, especially in 

 spring, and an uncommon winter resident. First arrivals in fall 

 have been noted at Osceola October 5, and by November 11 the 

 birds were common on Mud Lake. At Wappanocka Lake McAtee 

 found them abundant November 17-19, and at Stuttgart Hollister 

 recorded a few seen in January. Mr. W. B. Eason says of the pin- 

 tail on Big Lake: "Not many stop here on the southward flight, 

 but on the return in February there are thousands of them, and 

 they furnish good shooting for several weeks." The first north- 

 bound migrants were observed at Fayetteville January 27 and the 

 last on March 20. This species feeds on the seeds and stems of 

 rushes, duckweed, and other aquatic plants, snails, and insects. It 

 is said to be fond of beechnuts and acorns. 



Wood Duck. Aix sponsa. 



This handsome duck is one of the commonest of its family in both 



summer and winter. Formerly abundant in many parts of the 



State, its numbers have been greatly reduced by constant persecution, 



and it is now rare or absent in many localities. In the heavy swamps 



of the eastern counties it is still common, but will not long remain so 



unless protection is afforded it by both law and public sentiment. At 



present it may be killed at any time and gunners often begin shooting 



the young birds in June, when they are not more than two-thirds 



grown. In the Sunken Lands it finds ideal nesting haunts, and there 



it breeds abundantly, nesting in hollow trees over water. It nests 



also, but less frequently, in swampy bottoms throughout the State, 



having been observed at Clinton, Fayetteville, Newport, Turrell, Big 



Lake, Helena, Wilmot, and Alma. In winter it has been reported 



from Alma, Fayetteville, and Stuttgart (3 killed February 8) ; but, as 



at other seasons, is probably most numerous in the big swamps of the 



northeastern counties. Hollister reported it very common on Bayou 



Meto, Arkansas County, in November, and McAtee found it in small 



numbers at Turrell November 17-19. The food of the wood duck 



consists of the seeds and leaves of aquatic plants (such as the water 



lily, pondweed, and wild rice), acorns, beechnuts, chestnuts, wild 



fruits, and insects. 



Redhead. Marila americana. 



The redhead occurs in favorable localities as a regular and not 

 uncommon migrant and winter resident, preferring usually the 

 deeper lakes and streams for its feeding grounds. It has been 

 reported as a migrant at Clinton and Helena and was observed in 

 numbers by McAtee at Menasha Lake November 22-24. A writer in 

 the American Field says it is occasional in winter (December) on 

 Rose Lake, Crawford County, 1 and Mr. W. B. Eason reports a few 



i "Old Timer," Amer. Field, LII, p. 181, 1899. 



