( 189 
THE PINTAIL 
Dafila acuta. Native names: San , Sinhpar , Hind.; Kokarali, Drighush , 
bind; JJigonch , Behar and Nepal; Dighans , Bengal; Litunga , Manipur* 
1 aubay , Burma. r ’ 
Babitat .—A winter visitor to every portion of the Indian Peninsula. 
Description Male—head and foreneck, rich brown ; hind neck, blackish * 
lower neck, Dreast, and upper belly, white ; lower belly, minutelv spotted with 
brown ; sides of the body, pencilled black and pale buff; rump“ dark brown * 
middle tail feathers, black and long ; axillaries, white, mottled with brown ; outer 
web of the primaries, blackish ; inner web, drab ; speculum, metallic 
with a cinnamon bar above. Female —resembles the male, but 
sombre plumage, the speculum is brown, the under-tail coverts are w C u ; ,.wnr 
brown instead of being black, and the middle tail feathers are noT^engthehed 
It is very shy and its flight is extremely rapid. It is a night fe 
Length, 25 inches; wing, 11 inches; tail, 7£ inches. FemalJ 
inches ; wing, 9J inches tail, inches. The bill is wider near v 
the base, and in the male is black with the sides of the upper mairi 
in the female the bill is greyish black above, reddish brown ’ 
brown; legs and feet, slaty grey ; weight, up to 2i lbs. 
