128 Oecasional Notes. 



up by the Transvaal Game Protection Association as a result 

 o£ a meeting held in April o£ this year is that, until some 

 more positive information had been obtained as to the times 

 of the breeding of Duck in the Colony, it was inadvisable 

 that they should be removed from inclusion in the Game-list. 

 I believe I am correct in stating that, as a result of an 

 enquiry made by the Central Connnittee of the Transvaal 

 Game Protection Association from its branches, six were 

 in favour of the removal of Ducks from the list of Game, 

 whilst five wore against that view. No doubt, before the 

 commencement of the next shooting season, the Association 

 will be in the possession of a certain numl)er of reliable 

 observations which may enable it to advise the Government 

 with certainty as to what should be the proper, if any, 

 close season for these birds ; but at the present time it is 

 undoubtedly the fact that the information which is at the 

 disposal of those who are anxious to put this matter right (if 

 it is wrong) is extremely meagre, and it is yet almost 

 impossible to draw any general conclusions, owing to the 

 lack of specific instances with accurate data upon which 

 the breeding of Ducks or Geese has been recorded from the 

 Colony. 



" I have been tempted, therefore, to venture into your 

 columns with a few remarks upon this subject, with the 

 hope that the publicity which the matter may obtain by 

 means of this letter may possibly result in eliciting numbers 

 of specific instances in which the breeding of the different 

 species of Ducks have been here observed ; thus enabling 

 the Association to draw some conclusions as to what line 

 of action it is proper to take in the matter. In order to 

 form a groundwork upon which observations might be 

 made, it will perhaps be useful to append immediately 

 below a list of those members of the Duck family which 

 have hitherto been recorded from the Transvaal, as set out 

 in the latest available publication, viz. Vol. iv. of Stark and 

 Sclater's ' Fauna of South Africa ' (Birds), which work was 

 only issued from the press in the current year. With this 

 list I give all the places in the Transvaal from which the 



