. . er spring shooting was stopped there. This bird feeds mainly near the surface, as it is not anexpert diver. It flies very swiftly, and is capable of manytricks to upset the calculations of the hunter. In case of analarm among a flock when settling to the decoys, the individ-uals spring high in air so suddenly that the hunter oftenmisses his chance or shoots below them. Elliot tells of aperformance given by the males in spring that resembles thedrumming of the Snipe. As the lakes and rivers of the interior freeze, the Pintailmoves
. . er spring shooting was stopped there. This bird feeds mainly near the surface, as it is not anexpert diver. It flies very swiftly, and is capable of manytricks to upset the calculations of the hunter. In case of analarm among a flock when settling to the decoys, the individ-uals spring high in air so suddenly that the hunter oftenmisses his chance or shoots below them. Elliot tells of aperformance given by the males in spring that resembles thedrumming of the Snipe. As the lakes and rivers of the interior freeze, the Pintailmoves on southward. Its principal breeding grounds liebetween North Dakota, Alaska and the west coast of HudsonBay, but it is found in Greenland. It winters mainly in thesouthern States, and some go to the West Indies. It appearsto go north mainly by the inland route. Audubon says that the Pintail is an expert flycatcher andthat it eats tadpoles, leeches, mice and insects. BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 105 WOOD DUCK {Aix sponsa).Common or local name: Summer Female. Male. Length. — 18 to 20 inches. Adult Male. — Head profusely crested, metallic green and blue, ending ina long crest of purple and marked with two lines of narrow whitefeathers; sides of head deepening to purplish black below eye; throatwhite, the white running a spur up side of head and another acrossupper neck; upper body rich greenish brown, bronze green and purple;wings show velvety black, purple and white; tail long and dark; upperbreast rich reddish chestnut, with small white markings, a white bandedged with black before bend of wing; flanks light bufiy brown, finelylined, and bordered above and behind by black and white; rest ofimder parts white, except under tail coverts, which are dusky; billpinkish white, red and black; iris and eyelids red; feet orange with blackclaws. Adult Female. — Less crest; head grayish; chin, throat, line about base ofbill, ring around eye and patch behind it white; rest
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjobherbe, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
