ANATID.E. 



441 



tail coverts, bluish-black ; speculum white, its anterior border black. Lower part of the 

 breast, middle of the belly, and under surface of the wings white. Bill brownish-black, pale 

 beneath. Legs orange coloured. 



Form. — Bill as long as the head, of equal breadth and height at the rictus ; depressed but 

 not widening anteriorly. Laminae of the mandibles rather stronger and much shorter than 

 those of the Shoveller, but finer and more numerous than those of any other northern species. 

 The upper ones project a full tenth of an inch beyond the margin. Wings nearly equal 

 to the tail ; first and second quills equal and largest. Tail consisting of sixteen feathers, 

 the lateral ones graduated. 



Dimensions 

 Of the male. 



Length, total 

 ,, of tail 

 „ of wing 



Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 



23 Length of bill above . 1 7 



3 6 ,, of bill to rictus . 2 



10 6 ,, of tarsus ..16 



Length of middle toe 

 „ of its nail 



Inch. Lin. 



1 11 

 . 4 



— R. 



[199.] 3. Anas (Dafila) caudacuta. (Leach.) Pintail Duck. 



Genus, Anas, Linn. Sub-genus, Dafila, Leach, MSS. 



Pintail duck. Penn., Arct. Zool, ii., p. 566, No. 500. Wils., via., p. 72, pi. 68, f. 3. 



Canard a longue queue ou pilet (Anas acuta). Temm., ii. p. 838. 



Anas acuta. Bonap., Cat., p. 31, No. 315. 



Keeneego yaway-sheep. Chippeways. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan, May, 1827- 



Colour. — Head and adjoining part of the neck anteriorly umber-brown, with paler edges ; 

 neck above blackish-brown ; the whole of the back, shorter scapulars, sides of the breast, and 

 flanks marked with fine waved transverse lines of brownish white and black, most regular and 

 broadest on the long feathers lying over the thighs ; long scapulars and tertiaries black, the 

 borders of the former and outer webs of the latter white ; wing coverts and primaries hair- 

 brown ; the primary shafts white, and the interior coverts mottled with the same ; spe- 

 culum dark green, with purple reflexions, bounded above by a ferruginous bar and interiorly 

 and below by white. Tail, and most of its upper coverts, dark brown with pale borders. 

 Two long central upper coverts, vent, and under coverts, black ; the latter bordered with 

 white. A lateral streak on the upper part of the neck, the sides and front of its lower part, 

 the breast, and belly white. The posterior part of the abdomen minutely marked with grey. 

 Bill black ; sides of the upper mandible bluish-grey. Feet blackish-grey. 



Form. — Bill much lengthened, fully as long as the head, considerably higher than wide 

 at the base ; the upper mandible of equal breadth to the point ; the lamince not projecting 

 beyond the margin. Wings two inches shorter than the tail. Scapulars, tertiaries, tail 



3 L 



