GAME-BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



1910, says : " 1 have lately come across a pan in which 

 there were quite a dozen Maccoa Duck. They refused to 

 fly and only dived but were on the whole very tame and 

 I shot a good pair. 



" The female contained an egg ready for laying and quite 

 enormous for the size of the bird. It was of the usual duck 

 shape, but the shell somewhat rough in texture, and of a 

 bluish-white colour, the bluish colour most noticeable when 

 wet. 



" Unfortunately I had no time to hunt for nests, and the 

 egg got smashed on the way home. 



" Apparently this is the first time the egg of this bird has 

 been properly identified." 



He writes further : — 



" I did not hear these duck utter any note, and when 

 swimming about casually, they swim much as other duck, 

 perhaps rather deeper, but when alarmed they look very 

 curious, as they then sink the body very deep so that scarcely 

 more than the head and lower back and tail are to be seen, 

 the tail sticking straight up in the air at right angles to the 

 water." 



15] 



