298 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



bays and inlets. Where much persecuted is extremely shy, shelter- 

 ing during day amid reeds and herbage and feeding only at dawn 

 and dusk. When alarmed by gunshot makes straight for open sea. 

 (C. E. Alford.) 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in prairie region near lakes and also in 

 north. Nest. — In tussock of grass or under low scrub, in willow 

 clumps, etc., placed in depression of ground or sheltered by vegeta- 

 tion and lined with down. Eggs. — 7 to 11, much like those of 

 European Wigeon. Average size of 33 eggs, 55.4x39.3. Max. : 

 58x40.2 and 56.5x41.2. Mn. : 52.5x39.2 and 53x37.4 mm. 

 Breeding -season. — June. Incubation. — By female alone. Single 

 brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly vegetable ; roots of aquatic plants, seeds, buds, etc. 

 Vallisneria specially recorded. 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — Very rare vagrant. Male identified, 

 and female probably, at London Market, winter 1837-8. Young 

 male found at Leeds game-stall, Feb., 1895 (Saunders, p. 439). 

 Adult male shot Benbecula (0. Hebrides), Jan. 3, 1907 (Bull. 

 B.O.C., xix, p. 57). Adult male seen Anglesey, June, 1910, may 

 have been an escape from captivity (Brit. B., iv, pp. 87, 256) as may 

 adult male Bardowie Loch (Stirling). Dec. 14, 1919 (op. c, xiii, 

 p. 244) and adult male R. Eden (Fife) Nov. 24, 1919 (Scot. Nat., 

 1920, p. 13). Other occurrences (unauthenticated) recorded. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — N. America, north to Alaska and Hudson 

 Bay, south to Utah, Colorado and Wisconsin ; wintering south to 

 Guatemala, Costa Rica and West Indies. Casual Hawaiian Isles, 

 Bermuda, France, Azores, Japan and Bering Island. 



ANAS ACUTA 



308. Anas acuta acuta L. — THE PINTAIL. 



Anas acuta Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., eel. x, i, p. 126 (1758 — "Habitat in 

 Europse maritimis." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Dafila acuta (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 38G ; Saunders, p. 429 ; Hand-List. 

 (1912), p. 138. 



Description (Plate 6). — Adult male. Winter and summer. — Crown 

 black-brown, centre of nape black glossed dull green, all feathers 

 when fresh tipped buff ; broad white band from hinder- crown 

 parallel with nape to side of breast ; mantle finely vermiculated 

 blackish-grey and white ; upper scapulars as mantle, others with 

 coarse vermiculations of black and light buff and with distal halves 

 black on outer web, a few with broad black shaft -streaks, long 

 tapering ones black bordered drab-grey (some with a cream-buff 

 streak, and often freckled cream), lower ones drab-grey ; back and 

 rump mouse-grey, feathers often freckled cream ; at sides of rump 

 patch of cream-buff ; central upper tail-coverts shaded grey with 

 black shafts and cream-buff edges, outer ones with outer webs 

 black ; cheeks, sides of neck, chin, throat and fore-neck brown, 



