RIVER AND POND DUCKS 
197 
143. Dafila acuta {Linn.). Pintail. Ad. d . — Head and throat olive- 
brown; back of neck blackish, bordered by white stripes, which pass to 
breast; breast and belly white; the abdomen faintly and sides strongly 
marked with wavy lines of black and white; back somewhat darker than 
sides; scapulars black, bordered or streaked with buffy white; wing-coverts 
brownish gray, greater ones tipped with rufous; speculum green; central 
tail-feathers glossed with green and much elongated. Ad. 9 . — Throat white 
or whitish, crown and sides of head streaked with blackish and buffy ochra- 
ceous, darker above; breast washed with buffy ochraceous and spotted with 
blackish; belly white; abdomen more or less indistinctly mottled with 
blackish; sides with bars and lengthened black and white crescents; under 
wing-coverts fuscous , bordered with whitish; axillars barred or mottled with 
black; back fuscous, the feathers with borders, bars, or crescents of white or 
buffy; speculum grayish brown bordered with white. Im. — The im d is 
variously intermediate between the ad. d and 9 ; the im. 9 resembles the ad. 
9, but the underparts are more heavily streaked or spotted. L., d, 28*00, 
9 , 22*00; W., 10*00; T., <?, 7*50, 9 , 3*60; B., 2*00. 
Remarks . — The female of this species is a rather obscure-looking bird, 
but may always be known by its broad, sharply pointed central tail-feathers 
and dusky under wing-coverts. 
Range. — N. Hemisphere. In N. Am. breeds on the Arctic coast from 
Alaska to Keewatin and s. to s. Calif., s. Colo., n. Nebr., n. Iowa, and n. Ills.; 
winters from s. B. C., Nev., Ariz., s. Mo., s. Wise., s. Ohio, Pa. (rarely), and 
Del., s. to Porto Rico and Panama, and in Hawaii; in migration occasional 
on the Atlantic coast to n. Ungava, Greenland, and N. F., and in Bermuda. 
Washington, W. V., Sept. 13-Apl. 1. Long Island, common T. V., 
Sept. 15-Apl. 15; a few winter (Dutcher). Ossining, common T. V., 
Mch. 15-Apl. 10; Sept. 26-Dec. 4. Cambridge, rather rare T. V., Apl.; 
Oct.-Dec. N. Ohio, common T. V., Mch. 1-Apl. 7; Sept. 20-Dec. 1. Glen 
Ellyn, irregular, Mch. 19-Apl. 17. SE. Minn., common T. V., Mch. 3. 
Nest , on the ground, often but little concealed, sometimes near to, at 
others far from water. Eggs , 8-10, pale olive-green or olive-buff, 2*20 x 1*50. 
Date , Minor Co., S. D, May 7. 
“Its note is seldom heard by day, but while coming into the feeding- 
grounds at night with the Widgeons, Black Ducks and Mallards, the 
hoarse, muffled quack of the duck and the mellow whistle of the drake 
are heard mingled with the whistling of the Widgeon and the loud 
calls of the Black Duck. In the springtime the drake often gives utter- 
ance to low, soft notes which seem to flow from deep down in the throat, 
especially while performing curious courting antics in the presence of 
the ducks.” (Eaton.) The Pintail’s long, slender neck, and in the male 
the long tail-feathers, are good field-marks. 
144. Aix sponsa {Linn.). Wood Duck. Ad. d. — A line from bill over 
eye, a similar line at base of side of crest, and some of elongated crest- 
feathers white; throat, a band from it up side of head, and a wider one to 
nape, white; rest of cheeks and crown green with purplish reflections; a 
white band in front of wings; breast and a spot at either side of the base of 
the tail purplish chestnut, the former spotted with white; belly white; 
sides buffy ochraceous, finely barred with black, longer flank feathers tipped 
with wider bars of black and white ; back greenish brown ; scapulars blacker ; 
speculum steel-blue; primaries tipped with greenish blue. — Ad. 9 . — Throat 
and a stripe from the eye backward white; crown purplish brown; sides of 
the head ashy brown; breast and sides grayish brown streaked with buffy; 
belly white; back olive-brown glossed with greenish; inner primaries tipped 
with greenish blue. Im . — The im. d resembles the 9 . L., 18*50; W., 9*00; 
Tar., 1*35; B., 1*30. 
