306 
PINTAIL DUCK. 
The Pintail Duck is twenty-six inches in length, and two feet 
ten inches in extent; the bill is a dusky lead colour; irides dark 
hazel; head and half of the neck pale brown, each side of the 
neck marked with a band of purple violet, bordering the white, 
hind part of the upper half of the neck black, bordered on each 
side by a stripe of white, which spreads over the lower part of 
the neck before; sides of the breast and upper part of the back 
white, thickly and elegantly marked with transverse undulating 
lines of black, here and there tinged with pale buff; throat and 
middle of the belly white tinged with cream; flanks finely pen- 
cilled with waving lines, vent white, under tail coverts black; 
lesser wing coverts brown ash, greater the same, tipt with 
orange, below which is the speculum or beauty spot of rich 
golden green bordered below with a band of black, and another 
of white; primaries dusky brown; tertials long, black, edged 
with white, and tinged with rust; rump and tail coverts pale ash 
centered with dark brown; tail greatly pointed, the two middle 
tapering feathers being full five inches longer than the others 
and black, the rest brown ash edged with white; legs a pale lead 
colour. 
The female has the crown of a dark brown colour; neck of a 
dull brownish white, thickly speckled with dark brown; breast 
and belly pale brownish white, interspersed with white; back 
and root of the neck above black, each feather elegantly waved 
with broad lines of brownish white, these wavings become ru- 
fous on the scapulars; vent white, spotted with dark brown; tail 
dark brown spotted with white; the two middle tail feathers 
half an inch longer than the others. 
The Sprigtail is an elegantly formed, long bodied Duck, the 
neck longer and more slender than most others. 
