254 THE BIRDS OF RIVER AND VLEI 



ducks and then become dark greyish-brown before donning 

 full adult attire. 



We also found the White-faced Duck (Dendrocygna 

 viduata) breeding in the same spot and procured a 

 number of young ones. Both these occurrences are new 

 records for the Pretoria District— or more properly the 

 Transvaal. This is an extremely pretty duck, the back 

 being maroon colour banded with brownish ; the front half 

 of the head and neck white, rear half black, lower back and 

 centre of lower parts black : sides of body and Hanks banded 

 black and white. Length 18 inches. It has a wide range, 

 including South America, tropical Africa and Madagascar. 

 II is rare in South Africa. It has a clear whistling cry. 



All the ducks seem to be very irregular in their breeding 

 habits, so far as season is concerned, and the probable 

 explanation of it is that they are double-brooded. Take 

 the White-backed Duck as an example : A. I). Millar found 

 nests in November, December and February, while the 

 clutch photographed was found on April 21, 1899. 



RAILS AND CRAKES 



The Bails and Crakes are birds of retiring habits, haunting 

 the reed-beds and thickets in marshy localities, and are 

 consequently but seldom seen and little known. 



The Kaffir Rail (Rallus ccerulescens) is dark brown above, 

 merging into slat ey- blackish on the crown : throat white ; 

 rest of under-surface slatey-blue, merging into black on the 

 abdomen, thighs and flanks, these being haired with white. 

 Length, 10| inches. Bill and feet bright red. 



There are two true Crakes in South Africa, the European 

 species (Crex pratensis) and the African (('. egregia). Above 

 brownish with blackish centres to the feathers ; below 

 brownish in the former and slatey in the latter on the breast, 



