6 Mr. H. Leighton Hare on 



fortune to reach the flying stage, in spite of the many dangers 

 to which they, as ducklings, must have been exposed on some 

 open sheet of water. At long intervals, too, the rare sight 

 (for this district^ at any rate) may be witnessed of flocks of 

 100 or more of these birds on a large " pan/' which is filled 

 after abnormally heavy rains. This event, however, only 

 takes place about once in ten years. When this " pan " 

 does contain water, it is surprising to see what numbers of 

 water-fowl will assemble in a few days' time. Large flights 

 of Egyptian Geese, Rgi-billed Duck {^Pceeilonetta erythro- 

 rhjncha), and Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata) congregate 

 rapidly. The favourite nesting-site of the Egyptian Goose 

 appears to be the disused nest of some Hammerkop (^Scopus 

 umbretta) perched on an overhanging ledge of rock. The 

 bird sits very close, and no amount of moving about on the 

 roof of the nest will induce it to stir off the eggs. Only 

 when the nest has been broken open from above will it take 

 to flight. I have not had an opportunity of seeing how the 

 young, after they are hatched, are removed, but I believe 

 they are carried one by one by the neck in the parent bird's 

 bill. The young will often be reared on a comparatively 

 small pond, and when danger threatens the old birds fly o£f 

 while the young scuttle ashore and hide. Given a little 

 cover, they contrive to conceal themselves in a truly mar- 

 vellous manner, and unless the spot be carefully marked 

 search will, nine times out of ten, be fruitless. When the 

 banks afford next to no shelter, the sight of these helpless 

 little creatures on the bare ground, trying to pass themselves 

 off as stones or what-not, is really pathetic. They are 

 evidently trained by their parents how to behave in such 

 emergencies, and the primary rule, I imagine, must be " once 

 hidden, do not stir until you hear the signal that danger is 

 past." A friend and I once spent a long time searching for 

 a half -grown gosling, which we knew must be hidden very 

 close by. The ground was only sparsely covered with small 

 bushes, but the search was in vain, although, as subsequently 

 transpired, we must have almost trodden on the bird several 

 times. Tiring of the game at last we gave it up, but re- 



