yntatl d t habitually breed in this country is certain ; but Mr. John Hancock informed
7 . ¢ Ss Ho < ait! d : . : :
— amp in Northumberland, which is now drained,

| spontaneously in asw in |

bird still breeds occasionally on the Northumbrian moors. ‘
The evidence adduced by Mr. Henry Milner and Mr. Wolley in the following extract from the last edition
san ‘os of British Birds,’ tends to prove that the eggs of the Pintail are

' | bs) ’s : strc i S f the KE
of Mr. Hewit on Illu tration O a5 q 2
‘ re fer, are very ike hose of the Long-taile d Duck Ha elda
unusually small for the size ot the bird, and, moreover, are Very % t 5 (

it will be read with interest.

says Mr. Woolley, “ [ was very
ry Milner), who had brought it from
he himself had shot a female Pintail as it rose.
d to be genuine, and looked like what I had been accustomed

Mr. More that he has known it to breec

and he believes the

elacialis) ; hence : ?
: much surprised at the appearance of an egg given me

« A few years ago,”
Iceland in 1846, and who assured me it was

a gentleman (Mr. Her : :
ee a It seemed so small for the bird,

out of a nest from whicl

+47, a Troe A”1 se
was so different from eggs previously suppos !
to consider Long-tailed Duck’s. This single egg from Iceland, I accordingly valued very highly, and looked
pon it as a veritable Pintail’s, though this discovery of Mr. Milner’s, like all others founded upon single
wpo as « ‘ ° 2 \

nests, perhaps still wanted confirmation.
“Tn common with some other ornithologists, I had long been almost in a state of despair about most of
those Ducks which do not occasionally, at least, breed in Great Britain. It was this which, more than
anything else, determined me to take a journey to the far north; and, for many reasons, the fenny regions
, f Bothnia seemed the most promising. On the 7th of June, 1853, I was some hundred

beyond the gulf o ns ;
the territories of the King of Sweden and the Czar.

e river which forms the boundary between
by the water-side, I could get nothing to eat but a few eggs, among which were nine of
xactly like the one I have mentioned as being brought from

miles up th
Stopping at a house
some kind of Duck, the appearance of which was e
Iceland: but, having no means of identifying them, I dropped them into the kettle without the least remorse.
On the 14th of June, some hundred miles further north, in fact within half an English mile of where I am
now writing (Muonioniska), after a long and fruitless search for eggs, a Duck fluttered up a few yards off. There
was a rush to the spot, greatly to the peril of the nest, sunk as it was in the moss. It was lined with down, and
contained four eggs. The place was marshy, a few yards from the forest, on the rise of the hill. At midnight
went again to try and obtain the bird ; it was just taking a circle over the nest, and it bent its long neck down to
see that all was safe. I had a good look at it, as the sun was still shining. ‘Twelve hours afterwards I hada shot
at it as it rose rather wildly ; but it did not seem to be burt, and, as I had to continue my journey, I now reluc-
tantly took the eggs ; but I hoped that the down would serve to identify them, for amongst it were several breast-
feathers. In the meantime, if I could trust my eyes, the bird was a hen Pintail ; the eggs were, perhaps, a
week sat upon, and just like some others I had attributed to the same bird. On the 18th of June, I and my
line of beaters put up the old ones from three nests at different times in the course of twenty-four hours in a
large marsh. I saw two very well, one of which I examined with my glass as it stood with its neck up inan
open place some sixty or seventy yards off. It was a Pintail. All the eggs were nearly hatching, and the
young, of which I preserved one or two, were all of the same species. I also kept the down and scattered
feathers from each nest; and now I considered I had genuine Pintail’s eggs of my own taking. But the most
permanent proof was still wanting—the skin of a bird I myself should obtain from the nest. It was not till
last season that I got this proof. On the 20th of May, 1854, I visited the same marsh ; and in a little wooded
island of a few yards in circuit, a Duck rose almost under my feet, and J shot it, feeling sure it was a Pintail,
ee proved to be. There were six eggs, a day or two sat upon. The nest was made of a few twigs, mixed
and lined with down from the mother’s breast. It is usually made of long bleached grass, or anything that
comes to hand. This bird breeds generally in marshes, and not very near large pieces of water. The eggs
sisal be usually six or seven in number. The Pintail is one of the earliest breeders among the Ducks.
hey appear as soon as the water begins to open, and may be seen standing in pairs at the edge of the ice.

As soon a the Di ‘| ar itti

d as ICKS ¢ r ar : , PAKES ; c i |
yoy ss are hard sitting, the Drakes go about in flocks, having apparently deserted aia

nates, i. :

rors
5

are of a clay-c : io ’ tinee | i i
| | re of a clay-colour, slightly tinged with olive, and measure about two inches in length
’y one inch and a half in breadth.

In Lapland Mr. Wheelwright al

the foot of the fell ways found the nest of the Pintail in the small willow plantations that skirt
oot o ie fells.

oc He obtained his first nest on the 4th of June
Different as is the garb of the two sexes In winter

as shown on the ace anying Pl after the
female bas incubated her ¢ : accompanying Plate, soon <

‘ges, the male rOWsS his fi
, male throws off his finery, and assumes a dress so like that of his mate,
size, the two sexes are very similar it
but a short time :

that, except in
a p 1 appearance ; the summer dress, however, Is carried
or early in autu » fine winter . ; - .
ce a... ' | mn the fine winter costume of the male is again assumed. Selby believed
anges were produce a oe a :
them ; but I think that RY . ~ : a change in the colour of the feathers, rather than by a renewal of
: ’ \ la 1S 1S not the case, an ? 4 é e
he Plate , and that the feathers are shed upon each occasion.

represents an old male, of the size of life. w;
, of the size of life, with a reduced figure of a female in the distance.