THE PINTAIL. 



Supposed origin of the name. 



of birds of this kind; it is slender, and of a 

 brown colour, very much resembling that of 

 rusty iron, with a tincture of purple behind 

 the ears ; on each side of which from the hinder 

 parts of the head, there runs a white line, which 

 passes down the sides of the neck ; the fea- 

 thers between the white lines are black, under 

 which the neck is of an ash colour; both the 

 back and neck varied with black and white 

 transverse lines ; the middle parts of the scapu- 

 lar feathers of the wings are black, their inner 

 parts varied with a mixture of white, black, and 

 brown lines, some of the tips of the second row 

 of feathers white; others party-coloured, with 

 .shades of glossy red. The breast and lower parts 

 of the body, as far as the vent, are white; the 

 under part of the tail, black; the thighs more 

 pale, and varied with small specks of black; the 

 two middlemost feathers of the tail are extended 

 much longer than the rest, running into sharp 

 points, from whence it is said to takt* the name 

 of pintail; the upper part of the tail is of a sort 

 of ash colour, the tips of the feathers black. The 

 feet are of a lead colour. 



