. New England bird life: being a manual of New England ornithology; . onds; when molested they are veryexpert in eluding pursuit, by scrambling out of thewater and hiding closely in the surrounding this season, also, the old birds shed their flight-feathers ; they are for a time entirely deprived ofthe power of flying, and may be observed skulking in DAFILA ACUTA : PINTAIL OR SPRIGTAIL DUCK. 307 the rank herbage about the borders of the pools, wheretheir young were reared. The nest is commonly placedon the ground — in rare instances in the hollow of atree, or some stub projecting fr
. New England bird life: being a manual of New England ornithology; . onds; when molested they are veryexpert in eluding pursuit, by scrambling out of thewater and hiding closely in the surrounding this season, also, the old birds shed their flight-feathers ; they are for a time entirely deprived ofthe power of flying, and may be observed skulking in DAFILA ACUTA : PINTAIL OR SPRIGTAIL DUCK. 307 the rank herbage about the borders of the pools, wheretheir young were reared. The nest is commonly placedon the ground — in rare instances in the hollow of atree, or some stub projecting from the water of aswamp. The eggs are creamy or pale buff-colored,smooth and elliptical, measuring two and one-thirdinches long by one and two-thirds of an inch in breadth ;they are laid in May and June, to the number of six,eight or ten. This is one of the largest of the river Ducks, andunsurpassed in the excellence of its flesh. Amongsportsmen, its book-name of Dusky Duck is lessoften used than that of Black Duck. PINTAIL OR SPRIGTAIL ACUTA (Z.) Fig. 63. — Head of Female Sprigtail. Nat. size. Chars. Tail cuneate, when fully developed the central feathersmuch projecting and nearly equalling the wing in length ; muchshorter and not so narrow in the female and young ; to 308 ANATID/E : SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. inches long ; wing i ; total length about 24 00. Bill black andblue, feet grayish-blue ; head and upper neck dark brown, withgreen and purple gloss ; side of neck with a long white stripe ;lower neck and under parts white; dorsal line of neck black,passing into the gray of the back, which, like the sides, isvermiculated with black ; speculum greenish-purple, anteriorlybordered by buff tips of the greater coverts, elsewhere by blackand white ; tertials and scapulars black and silvery. Female andyoung with the whole head and neck speckled or finely streakedwith dark brown and grayish or yellowish-brown ; below dusky-freckled ; above, black
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