152 THE BIRDS OF RIVER AND VLEI 



The Cape Shoveller (Spatula capensis) is a scarce bird. 

 In addition to the localities given in Stark and Sclater, 

 M Birds of South Africa," a male in beautiful plumage 

 was procured at Modderfontein, Transvaal, which is now 

 in the Transvaal Museum. 



The South African Pochard (Nyroca capensis*) is of 

 a dark brown colour, the male having the centre of the 

 back and upper wing feathers finely speckled with 

 whitish ; a white band on the wing. The female is 

 paler, is without the freckling, and has the lower surface 

 mottled with white and brown. 



It is fairly generally distributed over South Africa. It 

 arrives at Modderfontein in August, leaving again in 

 April. The eggs are pale creamy-white. 



The White-backed Duck (Thalassornis leuconotus) is 

 widely spread throughout the sub-continent. The top 

 of the head and the throat are black ; above and below 

 of a yellowish-brown colour, mottled and barred with 

 black ; centre of back pure white. Bill, short and 

 stumpy, and of a blue and slate colour. 



Within our limits it is widely distributed, but remains 

 so far unrecorded from Rhodesia. It is an expert diver, 

 and seldom flies, although it can and does fly when perse- 

 cuted. It rests in the water, amongst the aquatic weeds, 

 with the whole body submerged, only the top of the head 

 as far as the eyes and the bill being exposed, which is all 

 the mark usually available to aim at. They are not bad 

 eating at times, although somewhat oily. The nest is 

 a saucer of sedge, rushes and weeds, built on the beaten- 

 down weeds growing in the water, and is usually well 

 concealed. The nest, of which we append a photograph, 

 was situated on weeds growing in about three feet of 



