. British game birds and wildfowl . coverts, afine chestnut; the coverts forming Avith the speculum three bars of white, black, andchestnut. Lower part of breast and belly, a gray white. Feathers on sides, flanks, andvent, nearly black; with numerous narrow ziz-zag lines of white across them. Undertail coverts, black. Legs and feet, orange red; claws, black. The female has the head and neck pale brown, closely spotted with dark brown; crownand nape, darker. On the neck and breast, the feathers are marked with two shadesof brown; the crescentic form less distinct than in the male. The upper par
. British game birds and wildfowl . coverts, afine chestnut; the coverts forming Avith the speculum three bars of white, black, andchestnut. Lower part of breast and belly, a gray white. Feathers on sides, flanks, andvent, nearly black; with numerous narrow ziz-zag lines of white across them. Undertail coverts, black. Legs and feet, orange red; claws, black. The female has the head and neck pale brown, closely spotted with dark brown; crownand nape, darker. On the neck and breast, the feathers are marked with two shadesof brown; the crescentic form less distinct than in the male. The upper parts, brown;the feathers edged with very pale brown. Wings like the male, but the colours lessbright and clear. Tail, as in the male. Belly, impure white; flanks and sides, verylight brown, with broad bands and crescents of darker brown. Under tail coverts, amixture of brown and brownish white. In length it measures one foot eight inches. The descriptions are taken from the birds above mentioned, as belonging to F. , Esq. il!. 197 PINTAIL DUCK. PINTAIL. CRACKER. SPRIGTAIL. LADY DUCK. SEA-PHEASANT. Anas acuta, ...... Lrsnusus. Querquedula acuta, ...... Selbt. Drtfila caudacuta, . ■ ... Leach. Canard pilet, ...... Temmince. Anas—A Duck. Acuta—Sharp or pointed, from the form of its tail. We have always considered the Pintail to be the most elegant of our ducks with whichwe were acquainted, and any one observing the graceful motions and delicate forms ofthose semi-domesticated in the ornamental waters of St. James Park, London, will, wethink, agree with us in our opinion. Its chaste colouring, too, harmonizes with itselegant and slender form. It is a winter visitor to our shores, arriving frequently as early as September, andleaving us in the spring. It is by no means uncommon along the south coast of England, except in Devonand Cornwall, where it is said to be rare; thus we find W. P. Cocks, Esq. recording in;The Naturalist, volume L, page 138, the occurrence of only t
Size: 1312px × 1905px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectgam
