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a singular mottled appearance, especially 
on the part of the body that was white be*- 
fore, became by the first week of August, en- 
tirely of a brown colour. The beautiful 
bronze on the head, the white streak on 
each side of the neck, and all the white 
beneath, as well as the elegant scapulars, 
had all entirely vanished, and to all ap- 
pearance a sexual metamorphosis had 
taken place. But this change was of 
short duration, for about the latter end of 
September, one of the males began to reas- 
sume the masculine attire ; the white on 
the under parts of the body, streaks on the 
neck and scapulars, and some bronze on 
the head were evident, and by the middle 
of October this bird was again in full plu- 
mage." 
The notes of the Pintail are extremely 
soft and inward, the courting note is always 
attended with a jerk of the head ; the 
other greatly resembles that of a young 
kitten. In the Orkney's it has acquired 
the epithet of Coal and Candle Light, from 
its singular cry. 
It is frequently taken in our Decoys 
